Enslaved
by TheEscapeFromReality
Summary: The war is finally over, but Harry's challenges are not. He finds a girl screaming in pain and learns she is Bellatrix's slave. With Bellatrix dead, the only way to save her is to become her new master. In the process of trying to free her he starts to fall for her. However, she has a deadly secret and dark past that might just kill them both. Abuse, no slash, OC/HP, strongHarry
1. Binding

**HEY ALL! This is just an idea that popped into my head and I really wanted to share it so I'm not sure what people with think of it… Well enjoy….**

He had done it. He had, by some great miracle, defeated the darkest wizard of all times. But he couldn't relax yet, for he knew that there was still a lot of work to do. He sighed as he ran a hand through his messy black hair, pushing it away for a brief second so you could have a clear view of his lightning-bolt scar. The scar that no longer burned.

Harry Potter looked around him at the battlefield at Hogwarts, and saw the many still bodies covering the ground. He shut his eyes in dismay, trying to clear it from his head. All those deaths…. He opened his eyes reluctantly, and noticed that there were still many wounded. Anyone with any healing training whatsoever was desperately trying to stop death's sweeping strike. For many, the war is over, but a much different battle has only just begun: the fight to save lives, not end them.

Harry didn't hide much from his friends, but there was something big he never shared with them. Sure, sometimes he'd drop subtle hints, wondering if they would figure it out, but they never did. And so he didn't argue with fate, even though common sense would say he should have. It wasn't some insignificant thing like a new crush or something. But Harry saw it as a weakness and he didn't want them to see him as his relatives saw him: a freak. Deep inside, he was worried they might agree with their treatment. So he said nothing and just got very adept at healing spells and glamour charms. And they came very handy in cases like this.

Harry smiled grimly, and went to the nearest person. It was a man, possibly in his thirties, and he looked in deep pain. A large gash was on his stomach, and blood was gushing out. Judging by his pale, sweaty face, feverish eyes, and groans of pain, he needed treatment fast. Harry knelt by him quickly, pointing his wand at the man.

"Hold on," Harry whispered, holding his wand steadily at the man's wound. "I'll fix you right up." Taking a deep breath, Harry waved his wand.

The white light floated angelically above the injury, healing it slowly, until the slash was completely gone. With a quick "_scorgify_" the blood was gone, and Harry got to his feet, satisfied.

"You should be fine now until someone else can check you over again," Harry commented kindly, and the man gave him a weak smile in gratitude.

That healing spell was one of the few Harry could do nonverbally, and that showed just how frequently he used it. It would be sad to most people, but to Harry it was a fact of his life. People said he was lucky, but he didn't understand how someone with such a high pain tolerance is lucky. If that was luck, then it surely wasn't something he wanted. One of the worst flaws of man is that when someone has one piece of splendor or success, they think that it is the epitome of that person's life. With Harry it was very much not so. He didn't want any of it: the glory, the fame, the money, or the attention. Being the Boy-Who-Lived was not worth it in any degree. But no one really understood that.

Harry was about to move to the next patient, but was stopped when one of the healers came up to him. He was dressed in the white robes of St. Mungos, and looked very tired and stressed. His blue eyes met Harry's and he gave the chosen one a half-smile.

"I just noticed that you are quite proficient in healing, Mr. Potter," he said in a low tone. "I thank you for your assistance and for ending this war."

"Of course, Mr..?" Harry trailed off, looking at him expectantly.

"Reinson, Carl Reinson," he offered, holding his hand out to shake Harry's. "Now, Mr. Potter-"

"You can call me Harry, sir," Harry cut off quickly.

Carl Reinson smiled. "And you may call me Carl."

Harry nodded, and then waited for what he had to say.

"As I noticed you can handle yourself rather well," Carl continued, "I was hoping you would go out near the forest some more and see if there are any hidden injured people. We have it all in control in this area, but I am concerned about any stragglers. There is probably one or two that you might find."

"Okay, I can do that Carl," Harry agreed.

"Thanks Harry," Carl said, and some of the tension left his face.

Harry nodded, smiling, before heading off to the forbidden forest. He glanced around, looking for any survivors, but only saw a few dead bodies. Trying to push away the images from his mind, he continued his search. As he got to the more outskirts of the battlefield, he was frozen by a scream. Feeling as though he has been struck by lightning, he sprinted towards the direction of the shrieks. He didn't go very deep into the forest, but Harry still tensed while he ran.

Then he saw her. She was lying on the ground, letting out yells of agonized pain, her slim body curled up in a ball. Her curly black hair fell around her body as she convulsed and twisted in torture. Letting out another bloodcurdling scream, Harry snapped out of his stillness and rushed to the girl.

Harry touched her gently, and she flinched, gasping. Frantic silver grey eyes met his, and he looked over her anxiously. But she wasn't wounded. She let out a small shout once again, showing she clearly was suffering.

"What's wrong?" Harry said quickly, looking over her worriedly.

She gasped, doubling over in another bout of anguish. She glanced at him, trembling.

"Please," she choked out. "Where is Bellatrix Lestrange?"

Harry looked at her in a calculating eye. "She's dead," he said. "She was killed in battle."

At her cry of terror, Harry looked at her in suspicion. "Are you a Death Eater?"

She shook her head quickly, her face warped in a mask of pain. "No, no," she panted. "She's my-my _mistress._"

Harry felt as though someone dumped a bucket of ice cold water on him. "Your what?" he asked, stunned.

Blood started to trickle down her face from biting her lips so hard. She continued to tremble, and Harry was still struck by the confusion of where her pain was coming from.

"Why are you in pain?" Harry questioned quietly, pushing away his questions on Bellatrix and the girl's correlation.

"I am a slave," the girl whispered, gritting her teeth. "Bellatrix Lestrange is my owner. And now that she is dead, I am dying."

Harry stared at her in astonishment, his heart racing as he understood her words.

"How is that possible?" Harry fired off, still numb by the alarming news. "How could you be dying? And how could she be your mistress? Slavery is _illegal_!"

She shook her head, and seemed to be about to reply, but she shrieked instead, rolling up into a tighter ball. The vulnerable position snapped Harry out of his questionnaire and he instead focused on making her stop screaming.

"Shh," he said softly, rubbing a hand down her arm in a soothing manner. "Please, tell me how to make this pain stop."

"I need a new master," she gasped out from her position, and then convulsed again. "With her dead… I need a new owner."

Harry tried to process the words, but he still couldn't believe this. Slavery! This girl who was about the same age as him needed a master to survive.

"Who?" Harry said his voice full of dread. "Who do you need as a master?"

She let out a small scream, and Harry tightened his grip on her. "Please," he pleaded. "Tell me who you need!"

"Anyone," she begged, her voice weak. "Please, I can't take it-" she was cut off from rough coughs, and blood came out of her mouth onto her legs.

Sick with fear, Harry tried to think of something to do. He knew what needed to be done, and cursed his hero complex.

"I'll do it," he said, his voice shaking. "What do I do?"

She looked up, her dead eyes having a spark of hope, and she tried to ignore the pain. Still trembling horribly, she sat up slightly. She took a wand from her pocket, and waved it at her left wrist, causing a deep slice to occur. Harry was taken aback, and before he could ask her why she did it, she spoke.

"Please do the same thing," she said desperately. "It's for the ceremony."

Harry unsteadily copied the movement, and stared at his bleeding hand. She brought her hand to his, and pressed the two bloody wrists together. She winced from another flash of pain that overcame her, but stubbornly kept silent.

"Now you have to say a spell: _cruor of servus cruor of erus religati_."

Harry listened intently, and repeated it a few times. At her hisses and cries of pain, he decided it would be best if he did it right away. Pushing away his doubts and self-disgust that he was doing this, he reminded himself that this was the only way for her to survive. He could always free her later.

Pointing his wand at their intertwined hands, he said firmly, "_Crucor of servus crucor of erus religati_."

A white light encircled the hands, and the blood from the hands evaporated, and the glowing turned into a ruby red ray and then it vanished. Rushes of energy were hitting Harry, and he gasped in shock at the nauseating exhilaration. He watched as the agony faded from the girl's face, and was replaced by a sweeping exhaustion, but she relaxed from her rigid position. She looked up with her silvery eyes, and bowing her head, got into a kneeling position.

Harry finally had a chance to observe her, and he took in her slender body, and her subtly curved face. Her lips were a darker shade of the average color, maybe because of the blood from biting her lip, and her grey eyes were mostly hidden by long eyelashes. Curly, long black hair fell over her face, contrasting with her pale complexion. Her clothes were filthy and ripped in some places, and her face had many streaks of dirt on her. But one of the most eye-capturing features was a jagged scar on the edge of the left side of her face, which was shown when her hair was moved aside by the wind. He looked at it, wondering how in the world she got such a scar. He recalled who was her previous mistress and his hands rolled into fists and he gritted his teeth. He hated her even more now, if that was even possible.

"Master," she murmured, her eyes flickering up to look at him while he examined her.

"Master?" Harry repeated, stunned.

"Yes, my lord," she said softly. "You are my master."

"Can't you call me Harry?" he asked, somewhat desperately.

"No, Master," she said in an apologetic voice. "The slave bond will not allow it."

Millions of questions ran through his mind, but he pushed away the more complicated ones, and settled on the simplest.

"What's your name?" he asked gently, pulling her gently to her feet so she was no longer bowing.

"Vala, my lord," she said, bowing her head in submission. "But if that doesn't please you-"

"No, no," Harry interrupted quickly. "You can keep your name! Of course you can!"

Harry had thought he would snap out of his shock, but the more and more he was with this girl, he just got more and more stunned. He was a master. He _owned_ someone. Harry felt like puking.

What had he gotten himself into?

"Vala," Harry said quietly. "How did you become a slave?"

She looked up for an instant, her face full of shame. "I'm paying a debt, my liege."

Harry look at her in confusion. "A debt? For what?" he asked, astounded by the sheer situation.

She again would not meet his eyes. "My father destroyed much of the Black family property and manor and because of certain circumstances-"she broke off, flinching. Before Harry could question it, she carried on. "Because of certain circumstances, my father was unable to pay them back. So the old laws proclaimed that he would have to pay them back in any way the owners thought was justified."

Harry looked at her in horror as he processed her words. "They forced you to be their slave to make up for property destruction," he hissed.

Vala recoiled at his angry tone. "I'm sorry," she said fearfully. "I did not mean to anger you, Master."

Harry shook his head quickly. "I am not angry at you, Vala. But I _am_ furious that you would lose your freedom so thoughtlessly. I thought our government was fair!"

Vala bowed her head. "Old laws are sometimes overlooked and forgotten, but in my case it was not, my lord." She looked up sadly, her expression ashamed and her grey eyes dark. "And no one would dare argue with the Blacks, especially seeing since who my father was." She bowed her head, shaking uncontrollably.

Harry was dying to know who her father was, but stayed quiet, as he saw how much distress she was in. He touched her face lightly, and she didn't move, but stayed motionless.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and he felt her tremble under his touch. "Please forgive me, Master. Please don't punish me."

Harry stiffened at her words, and fought the flashbacks of his uncle. Why did she think he was going to punish her?

"I'm not going to hurt you," Harry reassured her softly. "I promise."

She looked up, her eyes darting across his face, searching for a sign that he was lying. At his sincerity, she looked puzzled, but still wary. Then her eyes fell upon his scar, which was uncovered suddenly as the wind brushed his hair back.

"You are Harry Potter," she gasped, her eyes wide.

Harry bit his lip, withdrawing back. "Yes," he said coolly."I know."

She seemed to recognize the sudden harshness, and bowed her head again. "My apologies, Master. You do not need a slave to tell you of your identity."

His eyes hardened at her submission. "No I am sorry," he sighed, frustrated. "I just am so sick of the attention. It was even worse after the war."

Vala looked up instantly. "The war is over, Master?" she murmured, her voice full of hope.

"Yes," Harry breathed, running a hand through his hair. "It's finally over. He is finally dead."

Vala beamed slightly at him, a sincere smile coming upon her lips, but it quickly fell. Harry thought she had a nice smile, and wished she would smile more often.

"What now, Vala?" Harry asked, wondering what was expected to do with a slave.

"Anything you wish, my lord," she replied humbly, her hands folded in front, and her head bent slightly.

Harry looked at her for a long moment, trying to figure out what to do. This slavery thing sure caused a lot of problems, and he didn't know what to expect.

"Well, I think it would be best if we returned to Hogwarts," Harry said determinedly, glancing back at the large castle. "And then we can work on setting you free."

Vala looked at him miserably. "I apologize, my liege," she whispered. "But I do not believe that is possible."

Harry froze, closing his eyes as he digested this information. He opened the emerald orbs a few minutes later, his face showing both displeasure and revulsion.

"Very well," he said stiffly, before grabbing the arm of Vala gently, but firmly. "Come on."

They only took a few steps before Vala weakly started to fall, but Harry held her up. She looked at him with her weary grey eyes.

"I am so sorry, Master," she said feebly, and tried to get up, but her legs collapsed underneath her.

Harry picked her up and clutched her closely to his chest. He shook his head at her protests. "Its fine, Vala," he said quietly. "You've been through a great deal of pain and shocks today. You must be magically exhausted."

She stared at him, stunned that he would willingly carry her. "Thank you, Master," she murmured a few times, and he smiled in return.

As they were walking, Harry was thinking hard about all that had developed today. He glanced at the wand clutched tightly in her right hand, and realized something.

"Vala?"

Her eyes flickered to his, holding their attention for a moment. "Yes, my lord?" she asked respectfully.

"Why were you allowed a wand?" Harry asked, holding her even tighter as his attention turned to the wand.

She hesitated, her face half-hidden by her curly curtain of black hair. "My mistress wanted me to be able to punish myself whenever I needed to, my liege. So she allowed me the wand and ordered me to only use it when I need to punish myself."

Harry stopped, looking at the girl in his arms with disgust as his expression. "That is horrible," Harry said coldly, "and I permit you to use your wand at any time."

Vala looked amazed and had a dazed look on her face. "Master, you are too kind," she gasped, and he simply shook his head.

"I will not take away your rights Vala," Harry said confidently, trying to comfort her. "And I will never punish you."

Vala tensed in his arms. "Master?" she murmured grimly.

"Yes?" Harry replied, glancing down at her as they passed Hagrid's hut.

"I will be punished with or without you, Master," she admitted tentatively. "The bond punishes me if I do not behave as is required."

Harry's face conformed into a mask of horror. "What requirements?" he asked, sick with dread. This was just getting worse and worse. "Is this why you must call me _Master_?" He said it so reluctantly that she looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, my lord," she replied softly, her eyes downcast. "If I disrespect you in any way, attempt to harm you or your property, or disobey an order, then the slave bond causes me inexplicable, agonizing pain. The only way it is relieved is when the bond is satisfied or you intervene by punishing me yourself."

Harry gasped his face uneasy and sickened. "That is so wrong," he said, his voice shaking. "I can't do this!"

Vala tensed, and bowed her head. "You have the right to kill me, Master," she whispered almost inaudibly. "If you can't deal with it."

Harry went rigid, looking at her with an emotion she couldn't understand."Don't you ever say that," he growled, his eyes steel. "I would never kill you, Vala, and I _will _free you someday!"

Astonished, Vala just nodded faintly, wondering if this Harry Potter really meant what he said. The dark part of her felt as though he was just playing with her emotions for personal pleasure. But she knew she could do nothing if this was true, so she stayed silent, wondering when he would finally crack and raise the first fist.

Little did Vala know that Harry was remembering his own past, and felt he owed it to Vala to give her the liberty she deserved. Still uncertain on how he would do it, he only knew that he must. As they neared the castle, he glanced at the dejected girl, and hoped Hermione didn't kill him. She hated slavery with every fiber of her body.

Harry hated it even more. He knew what it felt like, and he didn't want to be the one enforcing it on another human being. Not if he had a say in it. But as he recalled her explanation of the bond, he realized with a sickening feeling that he might not. He was a master now, and it didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon.

**The slave binding spell is in Latin and translates to: Blood of slave, blood of master, binding.**

**If you didn't know, Vala is pronounced- VAH-luh**

**Hope you liked it…. I might not be quick to update this one because my first priority is **_**Destiny's Light **_**but if this story gets good feedback I would be happy to update frequently…..**

**Pairings:**

**It is planned to be HP/OC. (Can you guess who the OC is? Hehe)**

**I will NOT have any slash.**

**Probably will be HG/RW and GW/DM…. any suggestions just tell me….**

**I know some of the details might be vague but I will explain more once Vala and Harry have more time to talk about the specifics. I have a lot in store for you… And you will NEVER guess who Vala's parents are!**

**But other than that please review and happy reading!:)**


	2. Evading

**5/20/12: This is a revision of the earlier chapter 2. Hermione was completely OC, I fixed it in this chapter. Not quite what I would of liked, but it'll do. Thanks for all the support!**

* * *

Harry held the girl close to him as they neared the castle. A few of the passersby looked at them in curiosity, but didn't approach them. Harry glanced down at Vala, who was looking everyone but at him. Harry knew how humiliating being a slave would be. At least no one he ever cared about had known him as a slave to the Dursleys, but everyone was to soon know she was Harry Potter's slave.

Harry tensed as he realized exactly what he had done. If the press found out they were either going to tear her to shreds or shower him with praise and glory. Seeing since Vala had gone through quite enough as it is, Harry hoped for the second one, even though he detested being the center of attention. But now with the Dark Lord gone, Harry knew it was about time he took his role as Head of the Noble House of Potter seriously. He was a big influence in the wizarding world, and he would not allow himself or people he cared about to be verbally abused by anyone. He had the power to stop it after all.

"Harry!"

Harry turned sharply, causing Vala to glance at him in alarm, before he was ambushed by someone he knew very well. The girl sprinted towards him, her wild curls flying around her.

"Good, your back," Hermione said in relief, looking flustered and worried. They were so used to protecting each other every moment of the day that it would take a while to get used to peace. Before Harry could reply, Hermione noticed Vala.

"Who's that? Is she hurt?" Hermione asked, taking her wand out immediately. She looked over the girl in his arms in concern.

Vala glanced at Hermione behind her eyelashes, biting her lip in confusion. Then a look of recognition came across her face. "You are the mudblood," Vala gasped.

Hermione looked affronted. "Excuse me?" she hissed, crossing her arms.

Vala flinched, her eyes snapping to Harry, who looked angry. "I-I'm sorry, my lord," she said quickly. "I-I didn't mean to, that's just what my mistress would force me to say-"

Harry felt his anger fade and he flashed a look at Hermione, who now appeared both offended and confused. She raised her eyebrows as Vala continued. Vala's next words easily captured the Boy-Who-Lived's attention.

"Please, Master, don't punish me-"

Harry was about to calm her, but she was stopped by Hermione.

"Harry?" Hermione gasped.

Harry turned to face the very confused Hermione, taking a deep breath. He glanced around, but luckily everyone was too busy to overhear their conversation.

"Why did she call you Master?" she whispered, uncertain.

Harry glanced down at Vala, who was watching Hermione closely. He turned back to his best friend and began to explain. By the end, her face was oddly blank. He knew that slavery went against every fiber of her being, but Harry also knew that she trusted him.

"Hermione?" he asked, after she had been quiet for a few minutes, staring past him vacantly.

The Gryffindor's eyes snapped to his, suddenly blazing with passion. "I can't believe this happened!" she yelled at him. "I thought our system was fair! I-Damn it!"

Harry knew her anger was not directed at him, but he knew she must be furious to let a cuss word slip out like that. Frankly, he had to agree with her summary of the situation, but he would have used a lot more swear words.

She continued her tirade and her wand was sparking in her tight hold. Harry realized her magic was starting to slip from her control. She was definitely angrier than he had thought.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled, trying to stop her.

"DON'T YOU YELL AT _ME_, HARRY JAMES!" she exclaimed, her wand unconsciously rising up more to face him. "We have to do something! The library should have-"

Before she could tell him what book would be of assistance, her concentration was cut off by a cry of anguish. Hermione stopped to stare at the girl, who was now curling up in a ball in Harry's arm.

"Vala," Harry gasped.

He laid her gently on the ground, whispering calming words, and rubbing his hand soothingly down her arm. His worries of Hermione's magic unleashing faded to nothing at the pain on Vala's face.

"Forgive me, Master," she choked out. "I made someone else be angry at you."

Harry let out a groan. The bond had obviously believed that Hermione was mad at him and threatening him because of Vala. Hermione of course had only been mad at the situation.

Hermione watched in wide eyes, her anger fading abruptly to be replaced with deep concern. "What's wrong? Harry?"

"I'll explain later," Harry said quickly, his eyes not leaving Vala, who was crumbling in agony before him. "It was not your fault," he said firmly, but she just curled up even more tightly.

Harry continued to chant that, hugging her body to him, trying to somehow calm the bond. A few minutes passed, and Vala didn't speak. Harry suspected it was because she didn't want to show how much pain she was in.

"Vala," he murmured in her ear, shaking with desperation and sadness, and angry at Bellatrix for this horrible curse. "It's okay, you will be okay," he said gently.

It was after a few more minutes of silent suffering that she started to relax and uncurl from her stiff position, and Harry felt as if a weight had been lifted off of him. Breathing a sigh of relief at the improvement, he observed her. She tried to sit up, but her arms collapsed underneath her promptly. She bowed her head, clearly shaken up.

"Vala?" Harry whispered.

She stayed immobile, not daring to answer. She continued to shake in Harry's arms, and Harry reached out and placed a hand under her chin. She flinched, but made no protest as he moved her face up to stare into his. Her grey eyes were so heartbreaking that Harry froze.

"Are you in any more pain?" Harry finally asked, breaking a long silence.

"It stopped, my lord," she whispered timidly, averting her eyes. "The bond took its price."

Harry's hand that held her face up trembled, and he fought to keep his composure. "I am so sorry, Vala," he murmured.

"It was _my_ fault, Master. Why are you apologizing?" She was very resigned, but also startled by his words.

Harry shook his head, and saw that Hermione was watching them, now watching with profound sadness. He decided she would be fine for a while longer so he could comfort the distressed girl. Harry placed a hand on either side of Vala's face, holding her resolutely but tenderly.

"Do I look like Bellatrix Lestrange to you?" Harry asked.

"No," she stated, her grey eyes swimming in panic and uncertainty.

"Did I not promise you that I wouldn't stop until you were free?"

She hesitated, but then nodded, but Harry could tell she still didn't believe him.

"Why don't you think I will?" Harry asked, watching her carefully.

Vala recoiled under his hands, but he refused to drop his hands. Harry took a deep breath, knowing it would be a hard conversation, but it needed to be said.

She was very tense and afraid as she tried to think of what to say. She finally lowered her eyes, her face defeated. "Why would you? I am nothing but a slave."

Harry saw himself when he was younger in this girl and withdrew his hands as if he had been burned. He didn't like having flashbacks from his own past. "No," the chosen one denied quietly, his eyes hard. "You are a human being, and you are much more than a slave."

The black-haired girl bowed her head. "I'm sorry Master."

Harry was confused at why she was apologizing, and stared at her for a long time, trying to decipher the girl.

Vala looked up, pain clear in her crystal eyes. Her eyes were like mirrors, and staring into them made Harry reflect those same emotions. He could feel them, practically touch them. He knew exactly what she was experiencing. But she never has felt the love of friendship and freedom that helped him escape his sufferings. He vowed to fix that and help repair her shattered heart.

"What are you sorry for?" Harry finally asked, and she bit her lip, before shaking her head. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak a mass of people seemed to come all at once.

The press. The ministry. The fans. The stress.

Harry pulled Vala up with him, holding her arms in support. She was going to need it. This day wasn't over. No, it wasn't even close.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter!"

"Harry!"

"Our savior! The Boy-Who-Lived!"

"Harry Potter!"

Harry raised one of his hands, signaling for them to stop. He took a deep breath, looking at the sea of faces that were dying to get an interview, to hear some speech from the man who defeated the darkest lord of the century.

"I_will_ call a press conference," Harry said loudly and coolly, his eyes cutting into the crowd piercingly. "But for now, I honestly have better things to do. I don't know how anyone of you could ask me to speak with you when there are people still fighting for their lives and still dark wizards out there. Don't bother coming to _me_, I will come to _you_! Good day."

The outraged, offended, and astounded expressions covered the majority as Harry turned away, lifting Vala securely in his arms. He gave Hermione a look and she understood instantly. She nodded for him to go on.

Harry had been considering what he wanted to do, and he realized he wanted to help make the wizarding world a better place. The corruptness, laziness, and prejudice found in the government was something that had to be changed, and soon. Harry didn't know if he would really be able to make a difference, but he wanted to try. He _needed _to try.

The Boy-Who-Lived-And-Conquered looked down at Vala, who met his eyes squarely. She had a calculating expression on her face, and stared at him for a few moments before looking away. Harry was surprised that she didn't instantly turn away, and thought maybe she was starting to rethink things a little bit. Harry hoped so. Vala was another reason he suddenly had a desire to use his influence, because Harry knew he had to make sure nothing else like Vala's situation could occur. It was wrong, and inhumane, and Harry would not stand by and let it happen.

Harry was sick of being weak, of bending to others will. It was about time he starting using his full potential of powers, and fought manipulation. The Dursleys had taught him to be submissive without a thought, and it was something he had finally learned to snap out of. Harry wondered how his life would have been different growing up with someone who would have treated him like a son, or even an actual human being.

"My lord?"

Harry looked down to Vala, smiling softly at her. "Yes?"

"Thank you for killing the Dark Lord," she murmured, her eyes staring sharply into his own. "And also for saving my life."

Harry nodded, his face softening as he stared at her. Maybe this girl had more of a free spirit than he thought. "Of course," he said. "And Vala?"

She watched him carefully, waiting for him to speak.

"Don't ever be afraid of speaking your mind on something," Harry said quietly, gripping the girl even closer to him. "We will be seeing a lot of each other I presume, and I don't want you to be afraid of speaking. I will always value your opinion and conversation."

Vala observed him for a long minute, searching for sincerity and truth on his face, before finally gracing him a small smile. "Thank you, my lord," she murmured. She bit her lip, as if trying to decide whether to say something, before continuing. "I do not know how long your kindness will last, but I thank you for it," she whispered, so quietly he almost missed it.

Harry knew that she would have to realize in time that he meant no harm, so he just smiled gently at the girl and held her close. He entered through one of the backdoors of the castle, and was grateful for the silence and peace of the empty corridor. He made his way to the room of requirements, carrying her tightly as he cautiously climbed the stairs, and reached the second floor. Pacing in front of the front wall, he waited until the door appeared. When it did, he walked through, and was welcomed by two large beds, Gryffindor decorations, and a good-sized kitchen, sitting room, and bathroom. He glanced at the rooms briefly, deemed them okay, and took the girl to one of the beds. He laid her down gently, and she eyed him warily. When he only stepped back and nodded, she relaxed slightly.

"Thank you," she said softly, and smiled slightly at him.

Harry couldn't help but smile back, happy to see she was becoming more comfortable. He knew he had to go explain things to a few people, especially Hermione and Ron, but he was worried about just leaving her.

"Would you be okay here for a little while so I can manage a few things?" Harry questioned, fingering his wand in his pocket aimlessly and watching her carefully.

"Yes, my lord," she said, glancing down at her legs. She blinked tiredly, exhaustion clearly on her face.

Harry bit his lip, still unsure, even though he knew she would probably sleep. Then an idea hit him. He ripped off a piece of cloth from his shirt with her eyes watching him in confusion.

"_Panno __ad __monile,"_ he murmured, striking his wand diagonally.

He thanked Professor McGonagall silently as he observed the silver chained necklace with a small griffin pendant.

"_Traiceret_," he said, waving his wand again, but this time in a counter-clockwise motion.

Feeling a pulse of heat in the necklace for an instant, Harry was satisfied that it worked.

"What are you doing, my lord?" the girl asked hesitantly, curiosity shinning in her silver eyes.

Harry put the necklace gently around her neck, ignoring her tense posture as he leaned over, and smiled as she stared at it in confusion.

"If you are in danger, you just need to say the words "emergency portkey", Harry explained, glancing down at the necklace on her chest. "It will take you straight to me."

Vala seemed amazed by such an act. "Thank you, my lord," she murmured, touching the necklace delicately.

Harry smiled, and noticed how worn-out and drained she appeared. He took the covers carefully out from under her, and set them lightly over her body. She stared at him in a stunned stupor, and Harry realized that she probably had never experienced such a kind, but simple act.

"Get some sleep, Vala," he said quietly, his eyes softening as he looked at her.

She observed him warily before laying down slowly. She closed her eyes a few times, before snapping them open and looking at him. Harry sighed and walked away, wishing that she would trust him. But seeing what she has gone through, it was understandable.

Harry stepped out of the room of requirements, flashing her one last glance, and saw that she was still watching him apprehensively. A pang of sadness hit him, and he sighed. It was going to be another trying year.

Harry didn't realize until he was back down to the base floor that he would have to explain every little detail to Ron and Hermione. With the events of the day rushing to him, he leaned against a nearby wall, feeling suddenly nauseous.

He thought his trials would be over once Voldemort was killed, but apparently not. He groaned. Why did everything bad have to happen to him?

* * *

**OC Spells:**

**Panno ad monile- Cloth to necklace**

**Tracieret- transform**

**R/R! Happy reading :)**


	3. Surfacing

**Hey, here it is! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed or added my story as an alert/fav. I greatly appreciate the words of encouragement. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it isn't the best, but it should do:)**

* * *

Harry ran a hand through his hair, sighing. It had been an impossibly long day. Fighting a war and then bonding to a girl was pretty traumatic. Even explaining what had happened with him and Vala had been difficult. Ron had been surprised, but he took it all in stride and supported him. Hermione had immediately gone to the library, but she had trouble finding anything. Harry was immensely relieved he had his friends there for him.

But the stress of the day seemed to trudge on. There were so many matters to worry about, and so many details to think about. While Harry felt much more weightless and free because of the death of Voldemort, he did however recognize that his ordeals were far from over. Very far.

Many were still fighting for their lives and all the healers were working to the point of exhaustion. Hogwarts was greatly damaged, but many of the professors were working on rebuilding it. Ron and Hermione were also helping out. Ron in particular had been working hard to help where he could, and Harry suspected it was to distract himself from the death of Fred.

Some of the Death Eaters and their supporters were captured, but there was still many more to find. The aurors and many volunteers were out hunting them, but while they were on the loose, they were also very dangerous. Azkaban being proven unreliable, the ministry was trying to come up with a new facility to hold the prisoners. Harry agreed with this wholeheartedly, and was appreciative that the ministry was actually using common sense for once. Newly voted minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was one that Harry was certain would help fix the corrupted government.

The trials of the Death Eaters were also coming up soon, and Harry was planning on going to a certain one to testify: the Malfoys. While they may not have always seen eye to eye, he owed Narcissa his life, and he knew that the Malfoys hadn't wanted to serve Voldemort in the end. Overly dignified and arrogant they were, but not cold, soulless monsters. He knew he couldn't stop Lucius from going to prison, but he could sure have some influence on Draco's and Narcissa's trial. Harry realized that it was time to put old childish fights behind him, and move on to a world without Voldemort and prejudice.

Harry entered the room of requirements quickly, and immediately looked over at Vala. To his approval she was now in a peaceful sleep and he smiled. Without a second thought he fell into the other bed beside Vala's and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

The next day was not one that Harry was very excited for. True, he felt considerable better now without the Dark Lord around, but he had a lot to do; not what he exactly would have had in mind for his first Voldemort free day. Harry grimaced, but got up tiredly. He glanced at Vala's sleeping figure, and smiled. She looked as if she hadn't gotten decent sleep in years, and he was relieved that she was starting to make up for it. Harry's stomach grumbled at him, and he quickly remembered that he couldn't leave for breakfast until Vala was awake. His stomach protested at waiting, and he quickly came up with a solution.

"Dobby," he called into the empty air, expecting for the overly helpful elf to appear.

Dobby didn't disappoint, and he was quickly in front of the Boy-Who-Lived.

"How can Dobby help the great Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby asked, practically quivering with excitement.

Harry smiled at the exuberance the house elf had. "Will you bring breakfast for me and Vala?"

Dobby glanced at the sleeping girl and bobbed his head a few times in enthusiasm. "Dobby would love to bring breakfast for the great Harry Potter and his friend."

"Thanks Dobby," Harry said, his stomach relieved that it was going to be receiving food soon.

Dobby vanished with a crack, and Harry turned back to his bed. He noticed that the witch was stirring. She sat up, blinking hazily at him a few times, before her expression froze in horror.

"Master, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to sleep in-" she started in a rush, but Harry raised a hand and she instantly stopped, watching the hand warily.

"It is fine, Vala," Harry said, giving her a weak smile. He tried not to show how sick he felt to see the girl apologizing for sleeping. "I am glad you have gotten some well-deserved rest."

She stared at him with something akin to shock, before shaking her head. "It's not well deserved, my lord. I should not be so ungrateful by waking up after you," she said quietly.

Harry gritted his teeth at that, and how her so called 'ungratefulness' seemed to be well-rehearsed as if she was used to calling herself and hearing that.

"Let me get one thing clear," Harry said firmly, his eyes meeting Vala's unwaveringly. "You are under my care now, and in no circumstances do I allow you to belittle yourself, especially for my sake. You are not ungrateful from what I've seen, and actually you are much too appreciative for the smallest things." He stepped closer to her, so that they were just an arms-length away. "Do you understand Vala? You do not need to fear punishment around me. You do not have to insult yourself to please me. And in no situation should you think you _deserve_ such things."

By this time Harry knew he was getting rather heated about it, but she needed to understand. He was still busying blaming himself from the abuse from his relatives, and even though he had improved a lot, he still couldn't get quite past it, no longer how hard he tried. Seeing the self-blame in this girl made him even more frustrated. It was like fate just wanted to smack his past in his face.

Vala's grey eyes stared back at him, reflecting like a mirror. As he stared into the stormy depths, he saw himself, lost in a haze of accusations and expectations. He tore his gaze away, troubled, while Vala was silently evaluating the sincerity in his sayings.

Something was different about him, she could tell. He was not like any other person she had ever met. But he was the Boy-Who-Lived, surely that meant something? Did he actually mean it?

"Sir?" she cautiously ventured.

Harry's eyes snapped back to hers. His eyes searched her face, trying to see what she was feeling.

"I don't know if you're lying or not, my lord," she said hesitantly, "but you should know I am grateful to you for saying that." She stopped, a torn expression on her face, before she continued. "I already know you are a better master than my previous, and I thank you for that, my lord."

Harry looked at her with a softened expression, and he smiled easily. "You are welcome Vala." His face took on a more determined look. "And I promise you that I _will_ free you."

Vala's eyes held a spark of hope, but it was gone before Harry could be sure it was there. He smiled again at Vala, before turning the conversation to a more carefree topic.

"You hungry? Cause I'm starving! I sure hope Dobby brings our food soon!"

Vala smiled at his enthusiasm, and nodded slightly. She _was_ hungry. She hadn't eaten for around two days now, and was very relieved that she was going to be allowed food even though she slept in.

With a loud crack, Dobby appeared, levitating almost a dozen large plates of food. Dobby grinned at Harry and Vala, his large eyes wide. "Here's your meals, Mr. Great Harry Potter, sir!"

"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said with an obvious excitement, glancing at the plates that Dobby carefully lowered onto a table nearby.

Dobby nodded enthusiastically, his ears flopping as he beamed up at the Boy-Who-Lived. "Of course! I's do anything for Harry Potter, sir!"

Harry laughed, smiling at the house elf. "Thanks Dobby."

Dobby bowed, grinning at him, before disappearing again.

Vala has watched that whole exchange, and was shocked by how Harry treated the house elf. It was almost like they were _friends_. The very idea was absurd and ridiculous. She then realized that Harry Potter surely was a lot different then she imagined, and maybe having him as a master was going to be a good thing.

"Vala?"

Harry's questioning voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she smiled at him.

"Yes, my lord?" she asked, her eyes meeting his without fear for a change.

"Come eat," he said, motioning to the food, but she noticed he was shocked by her lack of stiff formality.

She smiled even more, and slid out of her bed. She realized she was still wearing her robes from yesterday, and they were dirty and torn. She sighed.

Harry's eyes followed hers and he seemed to realize what she was upset about. "You can borrow some robes from Ginny or Hermione for now," he suggested, motioning to her robes,"at least until we go shopping."

Vala's eyes snapped to his, shocked that he would willingly purchase clothes for her. That is, unless he didn't know she had no money of her own. Vala bowed her head, but walked over to him. She flinched when cool fingers touched her chin, and his slender hand lifted her face up to look at him. She tensed under his hold, but it was gentle and non-threatening.

"Did I say something wrong?" Harry asked quietly, concerned.

Vala's grey orbs widened. "Of course not, Master!" she denied quickly, distressed.

The word 'Master' made Harry freeze, and he heaved a deep breath, his eyes closed as he tried to compose himself. Merlin, how he hated that word! He released his grasp on her slowly.

"Vala, please don't call me that," he pleaded, his eyes not open to see her reaction.

She stared at him in confusion. "What word, sir?" she asked, her voice wavering.

"Master," he managed to whisper. He opened his eyes, to see her startled.

"Why not, sir?" she asked extremely quietly, not sure if she would be punished for asking why.

Harry looked at her for a long moment."I just really hate that word," he told her, biting his lip. "It makes me feel like Voldemort, and my un-" he broke off, looking away.

Vala had flinched violently when he called the Dark Lord by his name, but she didn't miss the way he stopped his speech. He was hiding another reason, and she wondered silently what it was.

"Let's eat, Vala," he suggested, and he took a seat in one of the wooden chairs.

Vala bowed her head, waiting for him to give her permission. Harry watched her in confusion.

"Aren't you hungry, Vala?" he asked, puzzled.

Vala froze, as she was reminded of her old mistress, who said that same thing many times. She closed her eyes in horror, as she had a flashback.

"_Aren't you hungry, Vala?" her mistress sneered, her ratty hair falling around her sarcastically sweet face. Her cold eyes watched her servant in barely disguised pleasure, smirking slightly._

"_Yes, Ma'am," she whispered quietly, trying to stop the hope rising up. She felt so empty, and the hunger pulled at her stomach. Vala looked at the luxurious overload of food on the table, and bit her lip._

_Bellatrix's lips curled into a sinister smile. "That's too bad," she said cruelly, "because little freaks don't deserve food. You don't deserve breakfast, do you slave?"_

_Vala bowed her head."No, Mistress," she murmured obediently, tears stinging in her eyes, but her hair covered them until they were blinked away._

"_Good slave," Bellatrix said, smirking. She raised her wand. "Here's your treat for being a good pet," she said mockingly. "CRUCIO!"_

"Vala? Vala!"

Vala started away from her horrifying memories, and slowly raised her eyes to her new master.

"Sir?" she whispered.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, his face showing concern. He knew something had happened, but he wasn't sure what. He knew he had his own flashbacks, usually when he was asleep, but he easily recognized the signs.

Vala nodded hesitantly, bowing her head in the process.

"Do you want to sit down?" Harry asked, motioning to the other chair, his eyebrows down in confusion.

Vala bit her lip, and kept her head bowed.

Harry watched her in confusion, before he stiffened, realization settling in. "You may sit down, Vala," he ordered, hoping his theory wasn't incorrect.

Her gaze snapped up, her silvery eyes swimming in shock. "My lord?"

"Sit down, Vala," Harry said nonchalantly, waving his hand to the table. "And have some breakfast."

Vala shakily followed the order, watching him untrustingly, as if wary of a trick or a cruel joke, but he just grinned slightly at her. This Boy-Who-Lived surely was unexpected. She gingerly sat down in the chair, and stared at the food in uncertainty. Harry watched her with empathy, knowing how it felt to not be used to eating, and casually started loading food onto her plate.

"My lord?" she gasped, her eyes staring in open astonishment at his act.

Harry made sure her plate had enough of the delicious food, before putting down the utensils, and glancing at her.

"I do not expect you to eat all of it, unless you wish it," Harry said softly. "It will take your body some time to adjust to eating properly, and I do not wish to make you sick." Harry looked at her overly slim frame, and frowned. "You will never be withheld food from me, Vala. I promise you that."

Vala was torn between hope and disbelief. He could be lying. She expected him to mock her and taunt her with food and other pleasantries meant for normal human beings. But she never thought it would be so hard to accept that he was just trying to crush her with false dreams and guarantees.

"I plan on receiving my inheritance today, Vala," Harry said lightly, abruptly changing the subject. "We can go shopping for some things you'll need. I decided on going later in the day, so I'll just ask Hermione for some clothes you can borrow until then."

Vala nodded shakily, not trusting her voice to answer.

"Vala?" he questioned, his voice showing clear worry.

"I-I don't have any money, my lord," Vala whispered, her eyes carefully lowered in shame and fear.

There was silence for a long moment, and Vala stayed tense as he stared at her. He started to realize why she had been so locked up earlier. It was the money, and the very fact of receiving anything good from the person she was bonded to.

"Once I get my inheritance, I'll be a very wealthy man," Harry said quietly. "You shouldn't worry about such things, Vala. I don't mind buying stuff for you."

Vala's eyes flashed to his for an instant.

"Why?" she murmured, almost inaudible, and Harry knew he was not meant to hear it.

That word strengthened Harry's resolve to make sure Vala realized she wasn't a slave anymore. He was going to spend piles of galleons on her, and he was going to do it without a single thought.

"Vala?"

"Yes sir?"

"Eat your breakfast."

When Vala took a small, dainty bite, Harry gave a small smile. Slowly, but surely, he would get through to her.

"Harry! Harry Potter!"

"The Boy-Who-Lived-Again!"

Harry groaned, and grabbed hold of Vala's arm. He pulled her thin body closer to himself as he tried to push through the crowds trying to get a glimpse at their savior. Eventually he managed to spin into an alley, escaping the crowd. He was grateful he had such a profound knowledge of glamour spells, and figured if he could hide his bruises and scars, he could alter his appearance a little bit. His scar would have to go, and his eyes would have to be changed to maybe a blue. It wouldn't be a bad idea to change his hair to a blonde either.

"Imus persona!" Harry hissed.

At Vala's gasp of surprise, Harry assumed it worked. He chanced a glance at a nearby store window, and was surprised by the reflection. A pair of light blue eyes stared back at him behind his glasses, and his formerly black hair was now a dirty blonde. Harry smirked in amusement at that, realizing that hair had only gotten half of the color he wanted. Shrugging, he pushed back his bangs. His scar was gone. Not even a trace of the horrible mark was left on the skin.

Harry gave a relieved smile, and turned back to Vala. "Come on," he said brightly. "We have a bank to get to!"

He grabbed her hand lightly, and they came out from their hiding place in the alley. They made their way to the colossal white building known as Gringotts. Vala and Harry went up the many steps, and entered through the large double doors, passing both a bowing goblin and the message of warning against thieves. The bank was not near as busy as the streets, to which Harry was very grateful. The two of them headed to a free desk, where a goblin was watching them with a bored expression.

"Yes?" the goblin questioned, his eyes piercing into the two harshly.

"I am here to receive my inheritance," Harry stated firmly, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in. But no one was interested in two teenagers, to which Harry was immensely thankful. Glamours really did work wonders.

"And you are?" the goblin drawled, his expression still bored.

Harry glanced around quickly, before leaning in to whisper, "Harry Potter, sir."

The goblin's eyebrows raised, and his expression showed a little more interest. "You do not look like Mister Harry Potter."

Harry sighed. "You must understand that my appearance would cause uproar. I am merely under a glamour spell."

The goblin nodded slowly. "Very well," he said in his deep voice. "But you must realize that I have to test you to make sure of your identity?"

"Of course, sir," Harry said seriously. "If you did anything less I would be concerned about your level of security."

The goblin nodded, slightly more polite. "Put your finger on that finger pad by the young miss," he ordered, motioning to a small black pad by Vala.

Harry placed his finger on it, and was shocked to feel a small prick. He glanced up in confusion, but the goblin merely shrugged unapologetically. Like a cloud of smoke, the words "Harry James Potter" rose above the pad.

"Very well, Mister Potter," the goblin said respectfully. "Your account manager, Raknog, would be glad to speak to you."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said, giving the goblin a slight appreciative bow, causing the goblin to send him a startled look that quickly vanished, and Vala to look at Harry in confusion. Bellatrix had always been nothing but rude to the goblins.

"If you would follow me, Mister Potter," the goblin requested, and continued past the other desks, with Harry and Vala in tow.

They continued down the large reception room into a hallway with various doors and name plates on it. They continued down the long hallway, until they came to an oak door with a shiny plague, stating: Raknog, High Account Manager.

The goblin knocked lightly on the door twice, and they waited. Only a few seconds later, a deep voice bid them to enter. The three stepped into the office, and Harry was surprised by the room. It was spacious, with extravagant details, and impeccable neatness. But to Harry's immediate attention was the large ebony desk, and the old, stern-looking goblin behind it.

"Who have you brought me, Jurec?" The goblin asked in a powerful voice, looking closely at me and Vala.

The goblin by Harry, Jurec, bowed his head slightly. "Harry Potter and his accompanying friend, sir," Jurec said firmly.

Raknog raised an eyebrow in a way that made Harry tense. "Is that so? It would seem Mister Harry Potter owes me a dragon," he said coolly, his black eyes piercing into the emerald pair. "And he does so after so very rudely disregarding our intentions of communicating with him." His eyes narrowed into a glare. "We do now take such insults lightly here, Mister Potter."

Harry was startled by the treatment, even though he might deserve some concerning the dragon. Yet they couldn't prove that had been him, and he had no idea to what else he was referring to that was making him so worked up.

"I beg your pardon, High Account Lord, sir," Harry began somewhat hesitantly, "but I do not understand the latter accusation."

Raknog's eyes sparked. "Do not insult me by feigned ignorance, Mister Potter," he hissed. "We know you received our correspondences."

Now Harry was extremely confused, and he glanced at Vala, who was looking very affronted by the goblin's attitude. "Sir," Harry started again, somewhat apologetically. "I do not understand what I did to insult you, but whatever it is, I would be happy to fix it, if only you would explain to me."

Raknog now looked abruptly suspicious. "I am speaking of the instances that we tried to contact you to discuss your vaults, and we were ignored. I take such as a personal insult to Gringotts, and I will not stand for such blatant disrespect."

"I never received any mail from Gringotts," Harry said softly, with a grim edge to his voice, his eyes narrowed in distrust. Something was seriously wrong here; he knew that such a high establishment like Gringotts would not falsely accuse him like that.

Raknog looked indignant, but was also starting to rethink the situation. "I sent the mail myself," he stated coldly, watching the Boy-Who-Lived carefully. "If you did not receive it, then where did it go?"

Harry shrugged, clearly confused. "I'm just here to gain my inheritance," he said, "I didn't know that you have been trying to speak with me."

Raknog looked suddenly alert. "Why have you suddenly decided to gain your inheritance?" he asked, slightly wary now. "We have been alerting you of the need to do this, but you have just replied with silence."

Vala had been wondering the same thing, and glanced curiously at Harry to see what he would answer with.

"What do you mean, sir?" Harry asked, now thoroughly confused. "I thought I could only receive my inheritance when I became of age."

Raknog reached into his desk and pulled out a worn-out parchment. "Usually that is the case, but your parents specifically wrote in their will that if anything were to happen to them, that you would receive inheritance at age fourteen."

The young wizard tensed, and his face turned into a mask of anger. "Then why do I not know of this until now?" he hissed, and Vala winced at her master's furious tone.

"So to my understanding, you have truthfully never received any of my correspondences?" Raknog questioned, his dark eyes eyeing Harry seriously.

"No, sir," Harry answered softly, inside seething that another thing had been hidden from him.

Raknog narrowed his eyes, his face also showing clear aggression. He turned to Jurec, his eyes glinting darkly. "Get me High Lord Torzenek at once!" he ordered.

Jurec bowed hurriedly, before storming out of the room, leaving a very confused Harry and Vala.

Raknog watched him carefully, before nodding curtly at him. "My apologies for the wrongly sent allegation, Mister Potter," he said gravely.

"Understandable, High Account Lord, sir," Harry said, shrugging it off, but still very taut.

"My lord?" Vala murmured, sensing his tenseness, and Harry turned to her.

"Yes, Vala?" he asked, taking deep calming breaths.

She watched him carefully, before placing a hesitant hand on his arm. He suddenly felt a pulsing magic on his own, and he felt his clogged up magic smooth out, and his muscles relaxed. Harry breathed a sigh of satisfaction, and flashed her a grateful, but curious look.

"How'd you do that, Vala?" Harry asked, smiling slightly at her.

"It's something my mother used to do for me whenever I was upset," Vala revealed quietly, her eyes flashing to his shyly. "I just used my magic to push against yours until it relaxes. I've never tried it before, but it seems to have worked."

Harry gave her a thankful smile, and out of sudden impulsiveness, grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. She looked shocked at the action and tensed up, but he didn't let go immediately, glad to be reassured by her presence. There was something comforting about the girl, something he could relate to.

Harry turned to glance at Raknog, who was watching the exchange very curiously. He had probably caught the "my lord" and was wondering what the relationship between the two were. Before Harry could think about shedding some light onto the subject, the door was thrust open.

Harry stared in shock at the large goblin, who was dressed in magnificent black and silver clothes lined with actual glittering gold. The goblin had dark eyes of steel and very sharp features, even for a goblin. He turned his probing gaze to Raknog, who was looking at him equally as serious. The goblin suddenly stopped, his eyes locked on Harry.

"I sense a magic block on you, Harry Potter," the goblin abruptly declared.

Harry went rigid, his eyes getting a dark edge to them. "Excuse me?" he intoned dangerously.

"You have a magic block on you, and it's a strong one," the High Lord Goblin said, radiating a sudden fury. "How dare some insult Gringotts in such a way, and the Noble House of Potter," he growled. He stepped forward and raised his hands, and chanted under his breath, "_Emus talea_!"

A surge of white light came jetting towards Harry, and he fell to the ground from the impact. Slowly, something shifted in his magic, and power started to radiate around the room. Harry shakily got to his feet, his emerald eyes darker than normal. He felt his aura fill the room, and the endless magic seemed to flow from his person. He raised his eyes to the High Lord Goblin, and bowed graciously.

"My thanks to you, High Lord Goblin Torzenek," Harry said intensely, and he narrowed his eyes. "But how in bloody Merlin's name did this happen?"

His magic cracked around him, and all but the High Lord Goblin were astounded by the level of power being shown.

"I'm not sure, Harry Potter," Torzenek said menacingly. "But I will be sure to find out, I swear to that."

The ominous threat sent shivers down the other beings in the room, and Vala and Raknog were both very grateful that they hadn't been the ones to screw with Harry Potter and the High Lord of the Goblins. For the consequences were sure to be dire.

**OC spells:**

**Imus persona: Glamour spell, in latin means hide, mask**

**Emus talea: unblocking spell, in latin means remove block**

**What did you think? Please review!**

**COMING UP SOON:**

**Who exactly are Vala's parents? And why is she so scared of telling Harry?**

**Who blocked Harry's magic and what is the Goblin High Lord going to do about it?**

**The Malfoys trials… and a certain red-head helps him out**

**And why is Vala so afraid? Will Harry overcome those walls? Or will he hide behind his own walls?**

**I'll try to update as soon as I can…. Happy reading:)**


	4. Reflecting

**Thanks for all the reviews/alerts...**

**SO sorry for the wait... Summers here so I'll have more time now...**

**Enjoy:)**

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"Mister Potter," High Goblin Lord Torzenek spoke, after the Boy-Who-Lived had reined in his magic and gained most of his composure. "While we, as Gringotts, will do our utmost to find out who did this, for now I suggest we just carry on."

Harry nodded, taking deep breaths, before flashing a quick look at Vala and Raknog. "I would like to get my inheritance now," he stated.

"Very well," Torzenek said, before waving his hand, and a paper from Raknog's desk flew towards him. At Harry's curious expression, he elaborated. "When you took a blood test to prove yourself as Harry Potter, we also got enough blood to be able to examine your inheritance and a few other things."

Harry took the offered paper and examined it carefully.

_Harry James Potter_

_Heir to the Noble House of Potter_

_Heir to the Noble House of Black_

_Heir to the Noble House of Peverell_

_Heir to the Ancient House of Slytherin_

_Heir to the Ancient House of Gryffindor_

_Power level: 420 (Mage)_

_Abilities: _

_Occlumens/Legilimens (slightly dormant)_

_Parseltounge_

_Fire Elementalist (dormant)_

_Wandless magic (slightly dormant)_

_Metamorphist (dormant)_

_Potter Inheritance: 470,640,281 galleons_

_Black inheritance: 509, 200, 143 galleons_

_Peverell inheritance: 367,500,812 galleons_

_Slytherin inheritance: 720, 485, 021, 993 galleons_

_Gryffindor inheritance: 719, 959, 065, 376 galleons_

_Estates:_

_Potter Manor, London_

_Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow_

_Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London_

_Black Villa, Italy_

_Black Estate, Germany_

_Peverell Castle, Britain_

_Peverell Estate, France_

_Slytherin Manor, Iceland_

_Slytherin Castle, Russia_

_Slytherin Mansion, America_

_Slytherin Cottage, Sweden_

_Gryffindor Estate, Ireland_

_Gryffindor Villa, Brazil_

_Gryffindor Manor, Spain_

_Gryffindor Cottage, Bahamas_

_½ of Hogwarts, Scotland_

Harry tore his eyes from the sheet, understanding that he was probably looking ridiculously astounded. He realized his mouth was hanging open in shock, and quickly closed it.

"Wh-what?" he managed to say, his eloquence failing him.

Vala watched him curiously and he handed the paper to her silently. Her eyes followed the words, and her expression became more and more shocked. Her eyes flashed back up to his.

"My lord, what you could do with this power-"she stopped, shaking her head, with wide eyes. "You have five lordships, two of which from the Founders."

Harry turned to the goblins, as if for confirmation. They both nodded respectfully.

"If you choose to accept the lordships, that is," Torzenek said politely, curiously watching the pair of them.

Harry stared at him, still trying to process it all. "But wait, how am I related to the founders, and the Peverells?" he questioned, blinking rapidly as he tried to figure it out.

"Through your mother you received the Slytherin title, because she came from a long line of squibs descended from Salazar Slytherin," Torzenek explained. "Your father is distantly related to Godric Gryffindor, but you're the closest in line, so therefore get the lordship. Your father was also the closest relatives to the Peverells, and was inherited after the passing of their line."

Harry tried to overcome the overwhelming feelings he was being encompassed by. "Wow," he said in amazement.

"Indeed," the High Lord replied, with an eyebrow raised.

"Are there any conditions I should consider before accepting these lordships?" Harry asked carefully, warily eyeing the goblins.

"No, Mr. Potter," Raknog answered instead of Torzenek, his wise eyes surveying him. "Nothing but good would come from this responsibility, I believe at least."

Torzenek nodded in agreement. Harry glanced at Vala, and seeing her reassuring smile, felt himself becoming more at ease with the thought.

"Would I go by all of these titles now, though?" Harry asked, suddenly realizing what a pain it would be to have so many lordship titles. "That would be quite the hassle."

"You could condense it, Mr. Potter," Torzenek said. "You just much choose a title for them all to be under."

Harry paused, deep in thought, as he tried to think of a proper name to go by. As he tried to think of one fitting, it came to him abruptly. "Lord Hallow," Harry said, with a smile.

It was in honor of his parents, Dumbledore, and in memory of the adventures of the Deathly Hallows. To Harry, he learned many lessons from that word, concerning both the place (Godric's Hallow) and the magical artifacts.

"Very well," Torzenek said, smiling slightly at the soon-to-be-lord. He snapped his fingers, and five boxes appeared onto the desk. Torzenek grabbed one, holding the Potter crest on the front, and offered it to Harry. "Open it and put on the ring inside if you accept the title of Lord Potter, of the Noble House of Potter."

Harry didn't hesitate as he opened the case. He stared down at the offered ring, and observed the golden ring with red and black gems. Harry reached for it, and feeling the warmth the ring was pulsating, pulled it onto his finger. Almost immediately, a powerful surge went through him. The same happened as he did the same with the other four. He now had three rings on his right hand, and two on his left.

Torzenek leaned over and murmured to him what to say to change the titles. Nodding, Harry took a deep breath, praying to remember it all.

"I, Harry James Potter, take upon me the names, titles, and associated privileges of the Noble House of Potter, the Noble House of Black, the Noble House of Peverell, the Ancient House of Slytherin, and the Ancient House of Gryffindor." A huge rush of power came to Harry, and he took a few deep breaths before continuing, fighting away his awe at the new strength. "And I place the titles under one name: Lord Hallow. So mote it be."

A flash of magic struck the room, and Harry's five rings all merged into one. It was of a dark black color, and was decorated by a large ruby and a large emerald, and surrounded by smaller silver, black, and gold gems. The elaborate design was both powerful and stunning. Examining his ring finger on his right hand, Harry grinned. His head flashed up, and his emerald eyes glowed.

"I am Lord Hallow," he breathed, and catching Vala's amazed expressions, really realized just what this meant for him.

_Wizarding world here I come_, Harry thought boldly, smirking._ Lord Hallow is about to shake everything up._

* * *

After leaving Gringotts, and getting money from one of his many vaults, Harry was in a determined state. Judging by Vala's earlier actions and words, she obviously was not used to having money spent on her. Knowing just how that feels, because for ten years of his life he experienced the same, it could be said that Lord Harry James Potter-Hallow was not happy with the current situation Vala was in. Heaving a sigh, he stopped in front of their first destination: Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

Harry turned to face Vala, smiling slightly, and she averted her eyes.

"My lord?" she asked softly, confused.

"We both are in some need for new clothes, Vala," Harry explained, and, ignoring her shocked face, grabbed her arm and led her into the clothing store.

The store had a warm, cozy feeling about it, which resembled the lady that welcomed them brightly when they stepped in. Recognizing the woman as Madam Malkin, Harry smiled back, still clutching Vala's wrist lightly.

"Hello Madam," Harry greeted, bowing his head slightly.

"Good afternoon," she countered, her eyes sparkling as she observed the two young adults. "What can I do for you today?"

"We both need whole new wardrobes, Ma'am," Harry informed her, causing her to beam at the costumers. She also looked rather surprised, but a salesperson is never one to argue off a big sale.

"Ladies first, dearie," she offered to Vala, who stiffened and instantly looked at Harry for approval.

When he nodded my head, she followed the woman's motions to stand on the stool for measurements. She surveyed the woman cautiously as she began to pin a robe around her. On several occasions Vala glanced at Harry for approval to answer the woman's casual comments on the weather and other menial things. She seemed to relax significantly after he nodded to her with encouragement. Harry was feeling a little content to know that she trusted him, even if it was only slightly more than Madam Malkin.

"Did you just get out of Hogwarts, dear?" The madam asked cheerfully, as she turned by Vala's side to pin the robe more to her slim frame.

"No, Ma'am," she answered quietly, after flashing Harry another look for authorization.

Madam Malkin's expression turned into curiosity. "Did your parents pull you out of school because of the war?" she questioned as she continued her work.

Vala gave a small shake of her head, her eyes downcast.

Harry was about to step in to help Vala, who was looking increasingly uncomfortable, but to his relief, Madam Malkin announced her to be done. She stepped off the stool and bowed her head slightly when Harry walked by her and got onto the stool. The woman went through the same process with him, before pronouncing him done.

"Now what kind of robes would you like?" Madam Malkin asked, smiling.

Harry glanced at Vala, and seeing her determined blankness, sighed. He turned back to the Madam. "I would like three plain black robes, one dark blue, one maroon, another emerald, and the last silver," he listed, thinking deeply. "I also would like three sets of dress robes: a black robe lined in gold, a simple brown, and a navy blue with silver linings. Also four cloaks in the colors white, black, gold and silver."

She nodded, her magic quill writing all the requests down on a piece of parchment.

"And the material?" she asked brightly.

"Your finest material, Madam," Harry requested, smiling back graciously.

"Silk then," she said, nodding. She glanced at him half-heartedly, somewhat reluctant. "You do know this will cost you a fortune, sir?" she asked, looking resigned as she informed the young man.

"I have no money concerns," Harry answered smoothly, before turning to Vala. "Vala?" he questioned, with his eyes soft as he took in her tentative posture and aura.

"Whatever you wish, my lord," she murmured, so quietly Madam Malkin did not hear.

Harry, knowing not to push it, merely nodded. He turned back to the woman. "My friend would like casual robes in these colors: black, light blue, navy blue, violet, magenta, grey, and cream." Ignoring Vala's gasp and soft protests, he continued. "Also, she wants the same cloaks as I ordered for myself. All of this should be in silk material as well."

Madam Malkin smiled at the two of them. "So cute, buying clothes for your girlfriend, sir," she offered as she grabbed the parchment with the orders. "It's good to see a polite, young man out there."

Harry was surprised by her words, and glanced at Vala, who was staring in shock at the woman. Her eyes met Harry's for a second, before paling and quickly turning away. Harry surveyed Vala for a moment, wondering how different it would be if they were really boyfriend and girlfriend. He blushed at the thought, causing the Madam to smile knowingly. Harry thought maybe he should have explained to her they were only friends (if that), but she left to grab their orders before he was given the chance.

"Vala?" Harry said softly, touching her lightly on the arm.

She twisted to look at him, and after taking a deep breath, raised her head up to look into his eyes. Her grey eyes practically screamed confusion at him, and he sighed.

"Vala, I'm happy to give you those clothes," he offered, trying to lessen the stress she was experiencing. "I promise you, it's not a big deal. You saw my bank statement after all; you know that this isn't going to be an issue."

Vala bit her lip, her head dropping slightly. "I'm sorry, my lord, for coming off as ungrateful. I didn't mean to offend your generosity," she whispered.

Harry looked extremely startled, and then shook his head. "I never thought that Vala," he murmured. "I understand you aren't used to having a humane mast-"Harry cut himself off, unable to say the word. "You aren't used to having someone who cares for you," he finally said.

She looked up at him, meeting his eyes bravely. "And you care for me, _Master_?"

Harry realized that she had indeed caught his correction, and had used the word to show him her proper place. The fact that she accepted that made him feel sick. "I do care for you, Vala," he said sincerely, "even though we have only known each other for a short time, I really care about you."

She shook her head lightly, her eyes burning in denial. Yet, she uttered a small, obedient "Yes, Master."

Harry touched her face softly with his hand, his fingertips brushing across her face by her scar. She flinched slightly, but made no move from his touch. Submission, Harry recognized.

"I am not Bellatrix Lestrange," Harry whispered to her, his breath warm on her face. "Vala, I swear to you I will never be like Bellatrix Lestrange."

A strand of her curly hair fell into her eyes, and Harry moved it away gently, not realizing how intimate the gesture was. She was stunned into silence at his actions.

"Master-?"

"Please don't use that word," Harry requested, finally pulling away from her. He seemed to come back into reality, and watched her seriously.

"Yes, my lord," she murmured, and Harry sighed. It was better than Master, but it still hurt to hear her call him that.

He was prevented from replying by the exuberant Madam Malkin, who carried the requested clothing in a small bag. It was magically enhanced to hold all the clothes from what Harry could tell.

"This is everything but your dress robes," she informed Harry, handing him the bag. "Those will be ready in a few days."

Harry smiled at the lady, and nodded, thanking her. After paying her, they left the shop quietly, both still lost in their thoughts. Harry glanced at her, before bracing himself for the next stop.

"Vala, we need to stop at another clothing store for clothes besides robes," he told her.

Vala tensed, but continued to follow him down the street in Diagon Alley. "Yes, my lord," was her only response. She resolutely stared at her feet as he grabbed her by the wrist and led her through the crowds. They arrived at a shop labeled: Madam Turpin's Daily Dress.

Harry felt a headache coming on, but ignored it and led the black-haired enigma into the shop with him. The shop was different from Madam Malkin, in the manner that instead of being measured you tried on different sizes yourself. There were rows and rows of clothing, so much in fact that Harry suspected magic was involved to have room for it all. Vala looked helpless as she stared at the clothes, and Harry heaved a sigh.

Almost as if detecting his trepidation, a young woman came to greet them, brushing sandy blond hair out of her dark eyes. She smiled at us.

"Hi, I'm Sydney!" the worker said with a liveliness Harry envied at the moment. "What can I help you with?"

"Well…" Harry shrugged. "We want whole new wardrobes."

She raised her eyebrows at that. "Your budget?"

"Not an issue in the slightest," Harry commented as nonchalantly as he could. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, for now he really did feel impressed by his inheritances.

Sidney nodded, looking interested, and happy to start a new order. She smiled at them.

"Shall we start with the young lady?" she asked, glancing at Vala.

At his nod, she grabbed Vala by the arm and pulled her into the clothing section. Harry meant to follow but the assistant shook her head.

"You go ahead and search for yourself sir," she said brightly, with a sly gleam in her eyes. "This is ladies' business right now."

Harry, although slightly unsure what that meant, figured she was probably right. He took in Vala's startled expression and bit his lip in indecision. "Will you be alright Vala?" he asked her quietly.

She met his eyes and gave him a short nod. After staring at her for a few moments, he consented and left them to their own devices. He entered the men section, and starting searching for his own clothing. He managed to find all that he needed in less than an hour, and went over to check on Vala and Sidney. He saw Sidney by the ladies' dressing room and made his way over there. He was stopped when he saw Vala come out of the dressing area, wearing a navy skirt and a white blouse that while not completely revealing, was very much daring. Harry was shocked into a stupor as he stared at the beautiful young women. But despite her prettiness, Harry could still see her abnormal thinness and long scar peeking out from under her waves of cascading black hair.

"You look fantastic, darling," Sidney announced to her, beaming. "Most people don't look very good in such a simple outfit, but you certainly pull it off!"

Vala smiled lightly and blushed a pretty shade of rose. "Thank you, Miss," she said politely.

"I told you to call me Sidney, dear," the assistant corrected with a smile, shaking her head. She surveyed Vala again, sighing. "Honestly, that young man with you is going to fall head over heels when he sees you." Sidney smiled at Vala. "How long have you two been together?"

Vala bit her lip, looking very hesitant. "I-uh-"

"Oh sorry, me being nosy again," the assistant said with a laugh. She eyed Vala knowingly.

"It's fine, Sydney," Vala said softly, her face still red, but her casualness made Harry freeze even more. "But we aren't a couple, you see."

The woman looked incredulous. "Sweetie, any boy that attempts to follow a girl into a ladies' clothing section must be very interested in you," she murmured with self-assurance. She glanced at the area of clothes Harry was currently hiding behind, and he realized she knew he was there all along. "Trust me- he will be ogling at you when he sees you in all your fashionable outfits." She winked at Vala, who actually laughed at the comment, shaking her head.

This made Harry completely speechless, as he listened to Vala's soft laughter. He wondered if she would ever be comfortable enough in front of him to laugh. But she instantly tensed when she realized that she laughed, and she stopped abruptly, biting her lip.

Sydney didn't seem to notice, just grinned at Vala. "Go ahead and wear that out of the store tonight, he won't be able to keep his eyes off of you," she said happily. "I'll grab the rest of the clothes and meet you at the front cashier."

Vala nodded, and headed in the opposite direction of where Harry was to get to the front counter. Harry stepped out of his hiding place and Sydney smirked at him while she gathered the clothes. "She looked nice, right?" she asked casually as she lifted the clothes into bags.

Harry blushed slightly, but just nodded in response.

The woman looked up to meet his eyes solemnly. "She seems to need someone right now, young man," she said seriously. "But she seems to be the type that will try to hide from the rest of the world. Don't let her hide away forever."

Harry was taken aback by her words, but nodded carefully.

"Great," Sydney said, smiling again and back to her bubbly self. "If you will follow me with your own clothing…"

Harry walked after the assistant, mulling over her words carefully. When they reached Vala, he found himself staring at her again.

The woman was right. He found himself unable to look away from her beauty that was no longer concealed by the baggy rags and unclean body. Vala seemed to notice his apparent admiration and blushed deeply.

Only her whispered, "My lord?" brought him out of his state, and Harry inwardly groaned.

This was going to be a long day indeed.

After purchasing the clothes, Harry offered that they stop for lunch before going back to Hogwarts. She smiled uncertainly, but Harry took that for consent. Shrinking down the bags that held the clothing, he put them in his pocket with the rest. Harry tentatively grabbed Vala's wrist and steered her gently out of the shop and through the crowds until they found their way into a nearby restaurant. He led her past the more public tables and into a more private section of tables. She hesitated, and he pulled the chair out for her, signaling for her to sit down. She did so, but she was tensed as if expecting him to punish her for sitting down. Harry just pushed her chair in gently, and sat down on the one across the table from her.

A waitress came and asked for the orders before he had much chance to do anything but glance at the menus. Harry barely glanced at the woman as he answered, his eyes firmly on Vala.

"We will have two specials and two butterbeers, please," Harry announced, watching Vala as if making sure she agreed. She remained expressionless.

"Very well, sir," the waitress said, taking the menus from the table and walking away.

"I hope that is fine with you, Vala," Harry said softly, observing her carefully.

She nodded, still silent and blank-faced.

"You look nice, by the way," Harry offered, trying to break the quietness that was starting to make him feel edgy. He blushed slightly as he looked away from her face to examine her new clothes again.

"Thank you, my lord," she said, suddenly in a rush. "For the clothes, and the food, and the chair, and-"

Harry raised his hand, stopping her desperate gratitude. "Please, Vala, stop!" he intervened, feeling sick to his stomach, especially for thanking him for the chair. Although Harry tried, he couldn't stop the flashback that hit with full force.

_Uncle Vernon was staring at him, his beady black eyes gleaming maliciously as he grinned at the small black-haired boy._

"_Sit down, freak," he ordered, pointing to the chair._

_Harry instantly obeyed, flinching, but knowing what was to come and fearing it. The hand slammed down at him, and he was knocked off the chair onto the ground. Resisting the urge to cry out, Harry got to his knees, bowing his head._

"_On your feet, boy," Vernon hissed, and Harry quickly pulled himself back up. _

_He tried to stop shaking, but he couldn't stop. He stared at his feet, waiting for the inevitable._

"_Sit down, freak," the man commanded again, smirking._

_Harry sat down, and the man slashed Harry's arm with a knife, causing a huge gash in her arm. Harry gasped in pain, clutching his bleeding arm, and was then shoved off the chair again._

"_On your feet, you worthless slave," Vernon ordered, spitting on the boy in contempt._

_Harry rose shakily, fighting the pain as he gripped his new wound._

"_Sit down," he growled, indicating to the chair. "Now!"_

_Harry sat. And then was punched. Harry sat. And then was hit. It happened over and over and over._

"_Worthless freaks like you don't deserve to sit in chairs," he hissed in the child's ear, crouching down while his knife caressing the boy's body. He smiled sickeningly at Harry. "Now let's finish the rest of our training, shall we?"_

"My lord? Master?"

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by a hand shaking his arm, and he looked up to meet Vala's concerned eyes.

"My lord?" she murmured, her voice faint.

Harry, having gone through many flashbacks in his life, quickly came up with an excuse. "Sorry, I was just a little lost in thought," he lied, smiling slightly. "You know aftereffects of the war and all-"

Vala shook her head, her eyes dark and shadowed. "You can't lie to _me_, Master," she cut in. "You were having a flashback, and a bad one at that." She seemed to realize just what she did, in contradicting her master, and started to beg for forgiveness. But it was too late, and Vala was already doubled over in pain.

Harry cursed as she fell out of her chair, curled up in a ball. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to help her relax.

"It's okay, Vala," he murmured quickly, feeling immensely guilty. If he hadn't lied she wouldn't be in pain right now. "I'm so sorry. You can get through this."

She didn't respond, but stayed stiff. She was letting out gasps of pain that made Harry feel very worried.

He tried to distract her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I lied, I'm sorry. I did have a flashback. It was a bad one." He closed his eyes in horror, but pushed on, feeling the guilt somehow force him to continue. "I was only seven. I thought I had gotten better at suppressing all the flashbacks, but they just won't go away…" Harry trailed away, noticing her relax slowly. He waited a minute, and she slowly uncurled herself, staring into his eyes. They were filled with pain, but also empathy as if she connected with what he had been saying. Seeing her weakened state, Harry quickly placed a pile of galleons on the table and lifted Vala into his arms.

"Let's go back to Hogwarts," Harry whispered, holding her close to him.

They disappeared quickly, leaving a waitress confused as she brought delicious meals to an empty table. Shrugging, she pocketed the money and went on with her duties, having no idea of the change slowly building in the world around her and between two lost souls in the fray.

* * *

**Sorry it was a bit slow, just a filler... A LOT more is coming... you'll see:) And Vala/Harry will be happening soon... but it will be a mutual thing not a Harry-forcing-Vala-cause-shes-his-slave kinda thing... You'll see:)**

**Please review:) Love ya all! Happy reading!**


	5. Embracing

**Hi everyone! Thanks to all of you who reviewed and read, I love all the support!:) One little thing I spaced on earlier was Dobby, but now that he's in my story we can all assume he isn't dead... Haha:) This is clearly an AU so I think it's okay if Dobby shows up, but if it bugs too many of you guys I can always go back and alter it. **

**Anyways, there's a lot of Vala/Harry in this one:) Sharing secrets and having a lot in common can do you wonders!**

**I also just changed my penname... My old one was bothering me, but I do not really know if I like this new one so we will see... So just bear with me and I hope that it doesn't cause any of you problems!**

**Enough of me talking, on with the story!**

* * *

When they landed abruptly on the grounds of Hogsmead, Harry hugged Vala's body tightly to his. She avoided looking at him for a few minutes, and they stayed in silence on the outskirts of the village. Finally, after a few moments, she raised her head and met his eyes. Harry was startled by the amount of sorrow in her grey orbs.

"Vala," he started quietly, shaking slightly. "I just-" he broke off, unable to form even an ounce of his feelings at the moment. The guilt, the fear, and the pure anguish were more he thought possible at one time.

"Let's get back to Hogwarts, Master," Vala suggested quietly, looking away again.

"Okay, Vala," Harry agreed softly, holding back a wince from the term 'Master'. Clutching her close, he was dismayed by her lack of weight and frowned slightly. "And remember, you don't need to call me Master," the Gryffindor added, his eyes dark as he started walking towards the magnificent castle.

Vala gave a small twitch, which Harry assumed was acknowledgement to what he said. After a few steps, she looked up in alarm, clearly having thought he'd put her down and force her to walk herself.

"My lord, please, I don't mean to be a burden," she said quickly, her eyes wide. "I can walk, my lord-"

"Shush, Vala," Harry murmured, trying to appear as gentle as possible. "It's no problem at all. In fact, you are much lighter than you should be, so it's not tiring to carry you at all."

She blushed, shame settling onto her face. "I apologize, my lord, if my body does not please you-"

At this Harry flushed, wishing to tell her exactly how much her body _pleases_ him, but her pleadings were enough to alienate his attraction and replace it with rage. "Vala, it is not your fault that you're malnourished, and you will always have the decision over me on what your body looks like."

She blinked at him a few times, before turning away suddenly. Harry sighed as he continued the trek to Hogwarts, wishing there was something he could do to help her. With a sudden realization, Harry recalled his lack of research on this whole slavery situation. Surely, with the help of his friends, especially Hermione, he'd be able to figure out some way to lessen the bond. Smiling to himself, Harry was now eager to discuss the research with Hermione. Glancing at the black-haired beauty in his arms, he vowed he wouldn't stop searching until he released her of the bond. No one deserved what she has been through.

After a good twenty minutes of silence, they finally made it back to the Room of Requirement. Harry still was amazed that the room had survived that fire. It was surely very magically powerful. Pacing in front of it three times, Harry recognized that he needed to get a more permanent place to stay. Perhaps there were some empty quarters or perhaps he could buy an apartment of some sort. Suddenly hit by the rush of his own liberty, Harry smiled to himself as he opened the door and walked into the room. As they neared the bed, Vala tensed in his arms, and a sudden thought surfaced in Harry's mind.

No, surely not! They wouldn't be that cruel! But despite his inner denial, Harry knew it was very possible.

Eyeing Vala carefully, he gently placed her down on the bed. She lay on her side, perfectly still, and her eyes closed tightly. Harry hesitantly touched her shoulder, and she shivered slightly.

"Vala?" Harry spoke uneasily.

"It-It would be my honor to p-please you, Master," she whispered, so brokenly Harry was convinced that it had been pounded into her.

Feeling both disgusted and livid, Harry reached out for her hand that was slowly lifting up her shirt. Grabbing her hand firmly, he removed it from her shirt, and her eyes flew up to meet his in frozen fear.

"My lord? W-Would you rather you did it yourself?" she gasped, her breathing rapid as she tried to stay composed.

"I would never take advantage of you, Vala," Harry whispered furiously, fighting down his magic that was threatening to be unleashed. "It's wrong!"

She trembled, shaking her head. "My lord, it is your right as my master to do with me as you desire," she informed him fearfully.

Harry didn't know how he hadn't noticed her caution that first night, and the utter submission and terror she had shown. He saw it only as a fear of a new bonder and situation, but never expected anything like this.

"No one has the right to do that, Vala!" Harry protested loudly, quivering in barely masked wrath.

She flinched violently at his anger. "My lord-" she began frantically, but cut herself off and curled into a ball. "I'm sorry," she chanted over and over.

Concern overpowering his anger, Harry sat on the bed, pulling Vala onto his lap. Struck by his impulsiveness, the Boy-Who-Lived realized that this might just cause her even more panic. At first, she went rigid, but eventually relaxed as he began stroking her hair and holding her close. Harry wasn't sure how much time passed with them sitting there in the tight embrace, but she pulled away much too soon for his liking. She leaned away from him, but didn't move entirely, and Harry took that as a good sign.

"Vala," he started quietly. "I promise you this: I will _never_ harm you in any way."

She looked up, searching his face for sincerity, and she didn't drop her gaze like Harry expected.

"I promise you that," Harry said confidently, his green eyes blazing into hers, wanting nothing more than for her to believe him fully.

After a long pause she nodded shakily, appearing a little more relaxed.

"Vala, I need to know more about what they did to you," he said gently.

Almost immediately, she went taut again and bowed her head. Harry reached out and titled her chin up delicately with his hand, and her grey orbs were shadowed with inner pain.

"How about this, Vala," Harry said. He still didn't remove his hand from her face. "We will take turns asking questions and that way we will both be sharing secrets and details."

Her eyes lowered for a moment, before looking back up hesitantly. "Go ahead then, my lord," she murmured, trembling slightly in his hold.

Harry removed his hand slowly, and to his surprise, she didn't instantly bow her head.

"Thank you for your trust Vala," the Gryffindor said quietly. "If there is anything too hard for you to answer, I would understand if you told me so."

Vala nodded jerkily, and Harry heaved a deep sigh.

"From how you just reacted Vala, I have to ask," the black-haired wizard whispered cautiously. "Were you ever… raped?"

Vala shuddered, and her heart rate tripled. "Not completely, my lord," she managed to whisper, closing her eyes. "But I was being trained on how to… do _it_ properly. Master Lestrange took pleasure in taking it… slow. He pounded the phrases and actions that were expected into my mind. Resisting only caused him to become more violent." At this, Vala shivered, with her eyes distant as if experiencing something horrible. "When you placed me on this bed, I just didn't think." The haunted expression on her face deepened. "Even though you did nothing the other night, I thought maybe you were waiting… building the anticipation."

Harry listened to her with a heavy heart, knowing that if the Lestranges weren't already dead he would kill them himself. Unable to contain himself, he reached for the distressed girl's hand, and rubbed his hand over hers soothingly. To his relief, the contact didn't bring her deeper into her shell, but rather she calmed down slightly. After a few moments of silence, she had composed herself enough to eye Harry inquisitively.

"My lord, if you don't mind me asking?" she questioned, and at his nod, she proceeded. "What was your flashback about?"

Harry stiffened, but knowing that she had opened up to him, understood he had to return the favor. He had never spoken to someone before about the Dursleys, and the sense of dread continued to grow as she waited for him to answer.

"We have a lot more in common than you'd expect, Vala," Harry stated softly. "I didn't have that great of a childhood either."

Her eyes hardened as if realizing where this was leading. Unconsciously, she squeezed his hand in comfort. He gave her a grateful glance. The young man felt reassured that he was doing the right thing by telling her. He realized that Vala was one that would actually fully understand and empathize.

"My uncle wasn't the kindest of men and it was a flashback of a punishment from him," Harry continued slowly, trying to sort out a way of telling her of the pure atrocities he experienced. "My relatives hated me for my magical abilities and they took their fear and channeled it back in the form of anger." Harry bowed his head.

"You never told anyone else before me," Vala stated quietly, troubled. "Why?"

He shook his head, breathing hard, and he swiftly pulled his hand away. "I would have been seen as weak or a freak-"

A gentle hand on his face stopped him, and he turned to stare at Vala in surprise. He searched her face for a long moment, clearly wondering why she was consoling him.

"I've only known you for a few days, Harry Potter," she said solemnly, "but I already know you are neither of those things." Tears developed in her eyes, and she shook her head. "You do not hit me, or use me, or insult me," she whispered, clearly still amazed by this. "And I know that whatever those monsters did to you, it was _not_ your fault."

Harry gasped at her words, shaken by the pure emotion and sincerity in her voice. He touched the petite hand still placed on his face, and gently removed it. Pulling her closer, after a brief moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around the delicate figure.

"Thank you," Harry murmured in her ear.

A few tears slid down Vala's face as she pressed it against his chest. She tried to hide them, but Harry only held her closer.

"Don't be afraid to cry in front of me," he urged, running a hand down her back soothingly. "Let it go, Vala."

She shook her head, and pulled away. "I can't, my lord," she gasped, "I'm sorry."

Harry eyed her seriously, knowing there was probably a good reason for it, and nodded slightly. He also did not like crying, mostly because it had been pounded into him at a young age that crying resulted in punishment.

"Let's have some lunch, alright Vala?" he suggested lightly. "We never did get any."

She smiled at him lightly, and Harry called for Dobby promptly.

Digging into the food that Dobby provided, Harry smiled when Vala barely hesitated this time. She caught his smile and smiled slightly back at him. Elated, Harry turned back to his soup, and listened to Dobby talk about his many mismatching socks.

* * *

After that experience, Harry was happy to say that Vala was acting more comfortable around him and less like a slave. He brought up the matter of living someplace else, and she seemed amiable. After all, as Lord Hollow he owned many properties. Remembering his lordship, Harry wondered how people would react to him becoming more involved with politics.

The next afternoon would be the trial of the Malfoys. It had been on the front cover of the Daily Prophet that Harry read that day. Harry stared down at all the words written down on the parchment in front of him, trying to reassure himself that all his points would be held up in trial. As Lord Hollow, he would have a great impact on the meeting, and not to mention being Harry Potter would help tremendously as well.

"Are you still stressing out over the trial, my liege?" Vala murmured, and he glanced up to stare at her across the table.

"A bit," Harry admitted, frowning slightly. "I just can't help but imagine the trial going awry."

Vala smiled at him, and the wizard eyed her curiously. "What?" Harry asked, wondering why she was so happy while he was miserable.

"It's just you are nothing like… the _Lestranges_ said you were," she murmured, putting clear hate into her old owners.

The Boy-Who-Lived smiled at how she addressed the Lestranges, glad she felt confident enough to speak badly of them. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously, waiting for more details on what she was saying.

"Well, it's obvious that you aren't all arrogant and self-righteous like they ranted about, my lord," the black-haired girl stated lightly, looking amused. "Not only are you under estimating your own abilities, but you are stressing out over defending a family that you never really liked anyways. It just is so…" she trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief. "So _you_, I guess."

Harry blinked, taken aback. The Gryffindor snorted after a moment of silence. "So me, huh?" he teased, smirking as Vala blushed fiercely. "And that's a good thing, right?"

"Just forget it, my lord," she muttered, embarrassed.

"No, really," Harry said, fighting back a laugh. "I'm curious."

Vala got to her feet, a mischievous expression on her face. She smirked at Harry, and he observed her warily. "Well it looks like you're going to stay curious for a while, my lord," she retorted.

At his flabbergasted face, she laughed, and took off in a run. Harry stared at her back as she ran out of the Room of Requirements, and quickly got to his feet with a grin. Oh, she was going to get it! While he chased after her, he couldn't help but replay her laugh in his mind over and over. It was the first time Vala had laughed purposefully in his presence, and he wanted nothing more than for her to laugh again. Harry looked quickly around the corridors, trying to find where she ran off to, and he caught a glimpse of curly black hair. Smirking, he sprinted in that direction, hoping to catch her off guard. He breathed heavily as he turned the corner, and found himself running straight into Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter!" she snapped out, clearly startled. "In your seven years here at Hogwarts, haven't you learned not to run in the corridors?"

"Afraid not, Headmistress," Harry commented, smiling charmingly at her, and glancing past her anxiously. He saw no trace of Vala, and groaned inwardly. Turning his attention back on McGonagall, he tried to appear as innocent as possible.

She stared at him sternly. "Defeating a Dark Lord does not make you immune to detentions, Potter," she said seriously, but her features softened considerably, contradicting her words.

"Professor, I don't go here any longer," he protested, crossing his arms defiantly at the thought of a detention.

She raised her eyebrows, clearly unimpressed. "Well then, please escort yourself from these grounds then, Mr. Potter," she ordered. "Either that, or continue your education. Classes start on the first, if you wish to make up for your missed seventh year than I suggest you learn to follow the rules here first."

Harry caught a small smile from her before it vanished, but couldn't fight back his own smile. "I can redo my seventh year? And take my NEWTS and everything?"

McGonagall nodded."Many of your classmates are doing the same," she informed him. "Just you will all be moving at a much faster pace than the other students graduating."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. While he no longer saw himself as needing to go to class, he did love Hogwarts and it would be nice to take his NEWTS for future employment if he wanted to pursue a career.

"And Mr. Potter, you can expect a detention sometime within the first week for running in the corridors, that is if you choose to return," the stern witch said, smiling in amusement at his shocked expression.

Harry heard muffled laughter and glanced past the witch to see a wisp of black vanish from behind the other corner of the corridor. Realizing Vala had been listening in this whole time, Harry flushed, before turning back to the Headmistress.

"Professor!" he exclaimed, his green eyes glowing in incredulity and feeling completely humiliation. "I thought you were joking!"

Minerva McGonagall very clearly smiled this time, looking very satisfied with herself. "I assure you, I was completely serious, Harry." She strode past him, her head held high. She only moved a few steps before looking back, her eyes sparkling behind her glasses. "And Mr. Potter?" she called, getting his attention again. "Fifty points to Gryffindor!" she said happily.

Stunned, Harry watched her walk away with a bemused smile on his face. Maybe he had found her soft spot after all… Clearing the Headmistress from his mind, Harry jogged over to the corner where he knew Vala was. Her grey eyes met his, dancing with mirth, and he folded his arms in mock irritation.

"You enjoyed that, did you?" Harry asked seriously, scowling.

Vala tried to keep a straight face, but ended up giggling for a second. "I did, my lord," she said with a smile.

Harry got a sudden idea, and reached out for her before she could process it. Tickling her mercilessly, he laughed in amusement as she pleaded for him to stop. After a few minutes of her reluctant laughter, he stopped and she glared at him half-heartedly. "That wasn't very nice, my lord," she told him, pouting slightly.

"Who said I was nice?" Harry responded, smirking.

"Very true, my lord," she agreed, with a serious expression on her face.

"Hey!" Harry cried out, before eyeing her playfully. Wrapping his arms around her delicate figure, he waited for her to relax from her rigid posture. After a second, he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Vala. What can I do to change your mind?"

She smiled into his chest. "I'm sure you'll think of something, my lord," she murmured.

"Maybe attending Hogwarts with me would make up for it?" he suggested, grinning.

She gasped, twisted out of his arms to stare at him. Her grey eyes searched his. "Do you mean that?" she questioned hopefully.

Harry looked at her inquisitively, but nodded. "Of course, I thought that if I went you would like to as well."

She beamed at him, and, in a rush of euphoria, embraced him tightly. After a few seconds, she drew away quickly, stuttering apologies.

Laughing at her antics, Harry merely pulled her in for another hug. With the beautiful girl in his arms, and no Dark Lord to worry about, Harry was actually carefree for a moment.

* * *

Later that night, Harry found himself in the library of Hogwarts, searching for any books that referred to slave bonds. So far he has had a hard time finding any references to the bond, nonetheless information on it. The Gryffindor rubbed at his eyes in exhaustion, but smiled when Hermione looked up at him.

"Thanks for helping me, 'Mione," Harry said grateful, smiling at his best friend.

"Of course, Harry," she said, smiling tiredly at him. "I know this is important to you."

Harry nodded, flashing an appreciative glance at her, before turning back to his pile of thick books. After a few minutes of quiet besides the pages turning, Hermione interrupted the silence.

"Harry?" When he looked up, she continued cautiously. "Why did Vala have that sudden burst of pain earlier?"

Harry sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair. "The slave bond punishes her whenever she does something contrary from what is expected of a slave," he explained in disgust. "That's why it's so important we find information on how to get around this bond."

Hermione nodded gravely, turning back to the books, before glancing at him again. "You really care about this girl," she stated quietly.

Harry hesitated, thinking about the girl who was currently asleep in the Room of Requirement. "Yes," he admitted softly. "There's something about her…" he trailed off, pensive.

"We will find something, Harry," Hermione assured him, smiling gently. She brushed her curly brown hair out of her eyes, and turned back to the words in the book.

"I hope so," Harry muttered, groaning as he scanned the page.

After a few hours of diligent search, and when Harry was about to call it a night, Hermione got his attention with great excitement.

"Look on the third paragraph," Hermione said enthusiastically, handing him a heavy, brown tome.

Turning to stare at the old and worn page, he glanced at the paragraph she mentioned quickly. His heart beating in his chest, he read the words.

_While the bonding in the case above is very temporary, there are many bonds that are much more long-lasting. For instance, the unbreakable bond can span over the years if the situation requires it. Also, the bond of a master and slave is one that is practically impossible to break. The breaking of a slave bond is very rare, and almost always results in the death of both the master and slave. While the bond of a slave is very taxing, it can also be directed accordingly by the master in the bond. The master can determine how severe the bond it, because of the fact that the master's orders are a first priority and can overcome any other part of the bond. In few cases do masters try to stop the bond's course, but the bond's punishment is the only matter that the master has no complete control over. There is a bond similar to this bond in nature, but it has a few significant differences, such as…_

Harry tore his eyes from the page, meeting Hermione's eyes in astonishment. "Do you think it would work? Ordering her not to do some of the things she is forced to by the bond?"

"You don't know until you try," Hermione said, smiling slightly.

Harry turned back to the book in vigor, rereading the passage over and over. While the piece about the breaking of bonds being nearly impossible was disheartening, he hoped that his and Vala's case would be the exception. He turned back to Hermione and handed her back the book.

"Let's keep on searching for more information," Harry said desperately, determined to figure out more details to help Vala.

Hermione shook her head to herself, glancing at her watch. Sighing, she turned back to her book, amazed by Harry's resolve. Unknowingly to Madame Pince, two Gryffindors spent their night in the library, searching for a way to give another their freedom.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Malfoy trial next chapter, that one should be fun:) And wait, why's a certain red-head there to tesify? You'll just have to wait and see;)**

**Till next time! Please review and let me know how you feel! Haha:)**


	6. Testifying

**I am so sorry! Really I am! I have lots of excuses, if any of you even care... Haha:) Soccer, homework, just been super busy! But everything is starting to wind down, so if you be patient updates will become more frequent within a few weeks when my quarter is over! And to make up for the long wait, here's my longest chapter yet!**

**I remind you, this is very AU. Not everything follows canon, for example the Malfoy family definetely has their surprises in this chapter! So no flames that say: "You idiot, can you read? That never happened in Harry Potter!" No flames at all would be great, actually:) Haha thanks for reading, any questions just ask...**

**Some of this was based off of the story Trial of the Malfoys by sockpuppet82, with the author's permisson of course.**

**Without further ado, the Malfoy Trial!**

* * *

Harry headed to the court room that next morning with a heavy heart. He was dressed in his new black and gold dress robes, and his lordship ring was securely on his finger. He glanced at Vala, who had chosen to wear one of the nice blue robes he purchased for her after his insistence. She caught his eye as they walked down the hallway in the ministry, and smiled slightly.

"You'll do fine, my lord," she reassured him. "I know it."

He only nodded his head jerkily, trying to fight back the urge to vomit. Taking deep calming breaths, he managed to compose himself by the time they reached the large double-doors that would admit them into the court room. Taking one final moment, he closed his eyes, but they quickly snapped open and he walked through the doors before he could lose his nerve.

The sight that greeted him was alarming. It was packed full of people, and a full court was in attendance. And in the center of the room, kept down to chairs by chains, were the three Malfoys. Even on trial they managed to look dignified, although Harry could tell they were nervous.

Harry faced the room and raised his head high, trying to appear more confident than he felt, and judging by the smile from Vala, he was succeeding.

"I'm going to find a place in the stands, my lord, if you permit it," she whispered in his ear. At his nod, she offered him one last comforting smile and slipped off towards the benches.

Feeling more self-assured, Harry strode towards the stand. It didn't take long for people to recognize his presence.

"Is that Harry Potter?"

"What's Harry Potter doing here?"

"Is he here to testify against the Malfoys?"

"Filthy death eaters, they belong in Azkaban!"

The last comment was particularly loud, and Harry faltered in his stride for a second. Gritting his teeth, he continued to Minster Kingsley Shacklebolt coolly. Kingsley grinned at him.

"Harry, great to see you," he said sincerely.

"You as well, Kingsley," Harry replied, before looking sheepish. "Or should I say Minister?"

"Kingsley is fine," he assured Harry, his grin unwavering. "Now what are you doing here? Testifying? I had no knowledge you were representing-"

"That's because they don't know," Harry said, shrugging. "The Malfoys, that is," he added, meeting Kingsley's eyes firmly.

The Minister looked astonished. "You're testifying for the Malfoys?" he exclaimed.

"Yes," Harry said confidently, his emerald eyes unwavering.

The Minister shook his head in disbelief, but then he chuckled. "You better go join Miss Weasley then, she is the lead witness in behalf for the Malfoys," he said, smiling at the black-haired wizard's shock. "Their lawyer is beside her, Lord Faulkner." He motioned to the front row of the audience section.

"Thanks Kingsley," Harry murmured, glancing over to catch the captivating red hair of his ex-girlfriend.

Harry hadn't seen her much since the last battle, partly because he had been busy with Vala and also because she hadn't been around very much. Guiltily, Harry realized that he hadn't thought much about her. The Boy-Who-Lived headed in her direction, wondering why she was here to testify for the Malfoys. Either way, he was glad for her help, she could be scarily convincing.

"Harry?" she said loudly, her eyes wide in surprise as she saw him. "What are you doing here?" A sudden thought seemed to occur to her, and she stiffened. "Are you here to testify against the Malfoys?"

"No," Harry said softly, smiling at his friend gently. "I'm here to testify for them."

The older gentleman beside Ginny raised his eyebrows in surprise, and he stepped forward with an offered hand. Harry took it, shaking it firmly.

"I'm Lord Christopher Faulkner," he greeted, in a gravely, calm voice.

"Harry Potter," the Gryffindor said quietly. "I hope you don't mind me saying a few things, Lord Faulkner. Perhaps I should have searched you out earlier, but I'm afraid I didn't know who was going to be the lawyer for the Malfoys."

"Any help is much appreciated, Lord Potter," he said seriously, eyeing the young man intensely. "I'm sure you will have much to contribute."

"I have seats in the Wizengamot," Harry stated quietly. "So I will be speaking in their defense from there. If you wish to call me to the stand I will be happy to oblige."

The old wizard raised his eyebrows. "You have seats, _plural_?"

"I am not just Lord Potter," Harry said calmly, rubbing his ring absently.

Faulkner caught the movement and smirked. "This should be interesting then." He gave Harry a friendly nod.

Harry nodded in return and then turned to face Ginny, who was watching him with an odd expression. "You've changed a lot," she noted quietly, before hugging him tightly. "Thank you Harry, you have no idea what this means to me. You're a great friend."

The young lord smiled. "You're welcome, Ginny, you're a great friend too," he stated softly.

Their eyes met and they both seemed to accept the meaning in their words. Both of them had moved on, but it wasn't awkward in anyway.

"I need to get up on the stand," Harry said, running a hand through his wavy hair somewhat nervously. "Wish me luck!"

"You'll do fine, Harry," she murmured, and Harry caught a tinge of nervousness in her own eyes.

"You will too," he answered.

She flashed him a grateful glance. Harry exchanged another nod with Faulkner, and then proceeded to the stands. He stood in front of Kingsley yet again, but this time more formally. Harry brought himself to his full height, raising his head boldly.

"I, Harry James Potter, dubbed Lord Hallow, do request permission to take place in the Wizengamot as is my right according to my lordships. I request permission to occupy the seats Black, Potter, Peverell, Slytherin, and Gryffindor. On my magic I vow to honor, defend, and uphold the law and in accordance to that judge justly. So mote it be."

Many people around the Minister stared at him, mostly approving, all though there was a general sense of astonishment. The Minister met his eyes directly, hiding his own shock expertly, and he nodded.

"I, Minister Kinsley Shacklebolt, do hereby decree Lord Hallow as a member of the High Order of the Wizengamot. So mote it be."

A flash of magic seemed to envelop Harry, and he closed his eyes as felt a surge of new power. As quickly as it came, it vanished, and he opened his eyes swiftly, the emerald orbs glowing behind his glasses. He walked briskly up into the stands, ignoring the faces directed at him as he made it to a seat. It was a few seats from the Minister, in between an older witch and a middle-aged man.

"Hello, Lord Hallow, I'm Lady Nancy Malloy," the older lady greeted, smiling.

"And I'm Lord Erik Macmillian," the cheerful man said next to him. "You probably know my son, Ernie."

"Of course, Lord Macmillian," Harry said with a smile. "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Malloy," he told the friendly witch.

"So, five seats? That's quite the hefty load for someone your age," Lord Macmillian commented, eyeing the Gryffindor with interest. "Quite rare to have that many seats, especially so young."

"Yes, well, extraordinary circumstances you could say," the black-haired boy answered, smiling vaguely at the man.

Before he could comment, Kingsley called for order in the court. After a few moments, the courtroom fell into complete silence, eyes either on the Minister or the Malfoys.

"This trial, on the seventh of May, is held in result of crimes against the Wizarding World. The defendants are Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, Lady Narcissa Eleanor Malfoy nee Black, and Heir Apparent Draconis Lucius Cygnius Malfoy, represented by Lord Christopher Faulkner. I, Minister Kingsley Shackelbolt, am conducting this hearing. Let us proceed." Kingsley paused and glanced down at the papers in his hands. "Draconis Malfoy," he said firmly, staring directly at the chained up young blonde. "You have multiple charges of association with Death Eaters, the use of the unforgivables, and purposefully opposing the members of both the Ministry and the Light Side in the final battle. Do you understand your charges?"

Draco raised his head high, but Harry could tell he was nervous by how pale he was and his shaking. His mother and father on either side of him watched him anxiously.

"I do," he stated evenly.

"And what do you plead?" Kingsley questioned, his eye brows raised.

Draco glanced at Lord Faulkner for an instant before looking back up at the Minister. "I plead not guilty, Minister."

Mutters erupted around the courtroom, and disbelieving looks and frowns were sent his way.

"I see," Kingsley said calmly, his hard gaze unmoving. "The defendant's lawyer may now take the stand and take his vow."

Lord Faulkner stood up, brushing down his robes as he approached the center of the room. He walked slowly past the Malfoys a little ways, staring directly at the Wizengamot members.

"I, Lord Faulkner, swear on my magic to speak the truth and only the truth as I defend my clients. So mote it be."

A white glow enveloped him for a few moments and Kingsley gave him a nod to carry on.

"My client, Minister, pleads innocent of these crimes in honor of the fact he was a victim himself," the older gentleman said smoothly. "He was forced to commit these actions, with no decision on his own unless he wanted to be slaughtered like some animal."

"You want us to believe that a member of the Malfoy family didn't want to be on You-Know-Who's side?" a man close to Kingsley asked incredulously.

"That would be correct, sir," Faulkner replied, nodding. "Because of his family name, he was expected to join in the Dark Lord's ranks. Saying no would be automatic death. And I don't know many people who would take a young Malfoy in during the brink of war. He would be seen as a spy, untrustworthy."

Harry nodded in agreement, but Kingsley was not convinced.

"The Order would have taken any innocent child in," the Minster denied, shaking his head.

"But you are forgetting that if he left his parents they would probably be killed for their son's treason," Lord Faulkner countered. "Would you have taken in Narcissa? Lucius?" When Kingsley didn't answer, he nodded sadly. "So as for association with Death Eaters, I would ask you drop that charge with the matter of unlawful enforcement."

Kingsley hesitated, thinking, before nodding curtly. "All in favor of clearing Draconis Malfoy for the charge of Death Eater association please signal with the uplifted hand."

Harry's hand was the first to rise, and he glanced around desperately. Lady Malloy beside him raised her hand. A few others followed in sympathy for the young man while others only agreed with it because their Chosen One was. Then, Kingsley, exchanging a look with Harry, raised his hand. To the Gryffindor's great relief, many other hands rose, giving the majority rule in Draco's favor.

"The charge of association is officially cleared," Kinsley declared, "but there are still two other charges."

"I petition he is cleared of those as well," Faulkner said quickly, slightly more confident now.

"On what grounds?" the Minister pressed, folding his hands on top of the stand in front of him.

"For showing clear desire to change," Faulkner said. "And, with the Minister's permission, I would like to call my first witness to the stand." At the dark-skinned man's nod, Faulkner continued. "Ms. Weasley, if you will?"

Draco turned abruptly, transfixed as the red-headed girl approached the stands. She took an offered seat near the Wizengamot members.

"If you'll give your oath?" Kingsley prompted gently.

She took a deep breath. "I, Ginerva Molly Weasley, do swear on my magic to speak the truth and only the truth. So mote it be."

There was a flash of white magic that settled over her body for a moment, before vanishing. The Minister nodded in acceptance.

"Your full name?" the Minister asked.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley," she answered, with her head up defiantly.

"And your association with the defendant?"

"He is a fellow peer from school," she answered, her eyes flickering over to Draco momentarily before staring in determination at Kingsley.

"And you are a witness against these charges?" the Minister continued.

"Correct," Ginny said evenly.

"Miss Weasley would like to share an experience that caused her to change her views on Draco," Faulkner added, nodding at Ginny in encouragement.

"Very well," Kingsley said. "Ms. Weasley?"

"I never liked Draco," she started, trying her best to fight her nerves. "That is, until just this year." She glanced over at the blonde Slytherin, who was watching her intently. "I received a detention from Amycus Carrow. It was by no means my first from him, but this one was different." Ginny paused, taking a deep breath, loathing and disgust apparent on her face. "I became very used to the Carrows teaching other students the cruciatus curse with me as their dummy, and I had assumed that that was going to be my detention. It wasn't."

Harry noticed how Draco looked furious, and his hands that were chained down were flexing in anger.

"Carrow was going to rape me," Ginny declared, her face pale.

Gasps echoed around the room, and Harry felt a flare of fury.

"How dare he?" Harry gasped, with his magic cracking around him. Some of the members sent him inquiring looks as he attempted to rein in his anger.

"He had only removed my shirt when Draco entered," Ginny continued briskly, trying her best to remain detached. "Draco informed Carrow that there had been a disturbance in the Great Hall courtesy of the DA and that he was needed right away. Carrow left reluctantly, informing Draco to continue with what he himself was planning on." Ginny closed her eyes in horror, breathing deeply, before they snapped open with determination. She noticed the glares and harsh words being sent Draco's way. "Draco Malfoy didn't even touch me!" she announced defiantly, her eyes narrowed at the horrible assumptions. "He just apologized to me after locking the door and silencing the room. And I was shocked that he wasn't… going through with it. We of course had to stay there long enough to make it believable, not to mention to keep me away from Carrow. In that space of time we talked a little bit and I realized that Draco wasn't all that people believed." Ginny smiled at the Slytherin, and he smiled back weakly. "I began to seek him out in private and gain his friendship. I learned of his ultimatum with Voldemort and his hatred for that monster." She met the Minister's eyes directly, ignoring all the gasps from her saying Voldemort. "It is for this reason I know that he should be free of these charges. He is just a good person in terrible circumstances."

Silence met Ginny's final words. Harry himself stared in open amazement at the Malfoy heir, realizing his long-time enemy saved one of his best friends.

"While that a truly inspiring story," the Minister said quietly, "I do not believe we can drop all charges. Draco did use the unforgivable multiple times, even if he showed great bravery and desire for change."

Ginny's expression morphed into deep disappointment and frustration. Harry felt himself echo similar feelings, and he stood up before he realized he had moved.

"I wish to speak against this charge," the black-haired wizard declared. "I, Harry James Potter, do swear on my magic to speak the truth and only the truth. So mote it be."

A flash of white blinded the other members around them as everyone stared at their savior in shock.

"On what basis do you plead in Mr. Malfoy's case?" Kingsley questioned, recovering faster than anyone else.

Harry paused, trying to think of a good reason. "All cases of those unforgivables were against his will," Harry finally announced, his eyes fixed on the young Malfoy, praying that was correct.

"Using the killing curse is still a crime, no matter his change in attitude," an older woman next to Kingsley stated, who Harry recognized as the Head of Law Enforcement at the Ministry.

"Did you ask him if he used it?" Harry asked hastily, hoping he was right on that aspect.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Kingsley inquired, turning away from the Gryffindor to face Draco.

"I deny the use of the killing curse," he stated quietly. "I do not deny the use of the other two." His grey eyes lowered.

"You do know that would result in practically a lifetime in Azkaban?" Kingsley questioned coolly.

Harry, sensing Draco was going to lose, recalled his trump card. It was time to embrace his inner Slytherin. "Minister?" Harry said, trying to sound concerned.

The large, dark man turned to face him, an eyebrow raised in question.

"I was wondering if that charge applied to everyone?" the Boy-Who-Lived asked, his emerald eyes gleaming behind his glasses.

"Yes, of course. Everyone excluding certain Aurors," he confirmed.

Harry fought back his smirk. "I used a few unforgivable against Death Eaters. Are you going to throw me in Azkaban too?" he asked, sounding worried.

Kingsley seemed to be choking on his words. "Throw-throw you in…" he shook his head, astounded. "Of course we wouldn't sentence you to Azkaban Harry!"

The people in the audience as well as his fellow Wizengamot members were whispering around him again.

"Poor dear, he actually seems worried!"

"Ridiculous, our savior in Azkaban!"

"Crazy notion, really-"

"But you are willing to sentence Draco to the same fate?" Harry announced loudly, in disbelief. "Either you free us of our charges in the principle of self-preservation or you send both of us to Azkaban. What will it be?"

All eyes were on Harry in horror at that thought.

"All in favor of clearing Draco Malfoy of all charges?" Kingsley questioned.

Hands rose much faster this time, clearly startled by Harry's firm declaration. Harry sighed in relief that his bluff worked out. Draco himself was gaping at the black-haired lord for helping him.

Kingsley looked around him, shaking his head, astounded. "Cleared of all charges. Draco Malfoy, you are free to go."

The chains on his arms released him, and the blonde got to his feet unsteadily. He flashed an anxious look at his parents, who were both amazed and astonished.

"If the Minister permits it, I would like to stay here to watch the other proceedings," Draco spoke shakily, still in shock over what happened.

"Very well," the Minister agreed.

Ginny paused by Draco's side for an instant while walking back to join the audience, and she squeezed his hand swiftly before continuing on. Draco smiled slightly, a glimmer of hope in his gaze.

"Now, on to Narcissa Malfoy…"

Lord Faulkner presented a similar case, of where she wasn't even a Death Eater but had to support it for her life and her family. Much like Draco, the problem of the unforgivables came up, but it was quickly pushed away by insistence from Harry. They had no problem until the final accusation: fighting against the Light Side in the final battle.

"Kingsley…" Harry said after that accusation, and the man turned to face him, a bit resigned.

"Yes?"

"I wish to oppose those claims on the grounds that she had no wand at the time," Harry stated.

"She had no wand?" Kingsley repeated, surprised.

"She had given it to her son, as his was stolen. Instead of fighting in the battle, she was with Voldemort the entire night."

At that, two things happened, nearly simultaneously. Almost everyone gasped at his name, and then raised their eyebrows at the implications of the last part of Harry's sentence.

"Oh come on!" Harry exclaimed as he took in their faces. "Not like that! That's disgusting," he shook his head violently, as though to get the image out of his mind.

Harry noticed Narcissa was gagging slightly and Lucius, next to her, no longer had a blank mask. In fact, he looked extremely livid and sickened.

"I meant that Lady Malfoy and her husband were in the forest, _nearby_ Voldemort, while most of the others were fighting, throughout the night," the young lord clarified quickly.

"And you're sure of this Harry?"

"You should know, if you don't already," Harry said, rubbing his temples, "that a piece of Voldemort's soul was inside me."

Gasps of revulsion echoed around the hall.

"Yes, I know, disgusting right?" Harry smiled wryly. "It's gone now, of course, but while it was in me, it gave me the power to look through Voldemort's eyes. Occasionally it was voluntarily, though usually not." Harry paused, involuntarily touching his scar. "During that night, I had regular glimpses into his mind. The Malfoys were always near him. They were more use that way, neither of them had wands."

"But she would've fought if she had her wand, she still was supporting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," a younger man near the back mentioned.

"Narcissa Malfoy saved my life," Harry said firmly, once again rising to his feet, and feeling oddly defensive.

"How?" Kingsley asked, startled.

Many other faces stared at Harry, shocked into silence.

"It was back when Voldemort shot the Killing Curse at me, and didn't know if I was dead, but was afraid to check himself, the coward," Harry informed him, hatred on his face as he spoke of Voldemort. "So Voldemort sent her. And clearly I was still alive, so she risked her life, telling him that I was dead. If she hadn't done that, it's likely I'd be dead and Voldemort would be in control of the Wizarding World."

"Why would you do that?" Lady Malloy asked, staring at Narcissa.

"I no longer agreed with V-Voldemort's ideals. I hadn't for a while, but it was only then that I really got the chance to act on my feelings," Narcissa said, bravely stating his name, to many people's amazement.

"You honestly want me to clear her-Narcissa Malfoy-of all charges?" The Minister was leaning forward, staring at the Boy-Who-Lived intently.

"Yes," he answered simply, running a hand through his dark hair somewhat nervously.

"All in favor of clearing Narcissa Malfoy of all charges?"

Hands went up after Harry raised his, and much like Draco, there was a majority rule, although it was a much closer thing this time. Kingsley also ruled her free to go, and she opted to stay, her eyes only on her husband.

The Boy-Who-Lived stared down at Lucius Malfoy as well, wondering if this man would get any mercy, or even deserved it. Harry had wanted to help Draco and Narcissa, but this was a whole different level.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy," the Minister stated coolly, his eyes hard and probing. "You are being accused of murder, rape, and torture of other human beings. You took the dark mark, destroyed property, used countless unforgivables, blackmailed, and were involved in other matters of dark deeds. How do you plead?"

Lucius looked down at his chained arms as his charges were announced. Looking up briefly, his emotionless mask was still in place, but Harry could see there was something off.

"I plead guilty of all charges," he stated in a monotone.

Harry was stunned by this, expecting the man to try to weasel his way out. Then again, that would be literally impossible.

"You do understand that everything you say will and can be held against you?" Kingsley asked, with his eyes narrowed as he observed the man he had frequently fought against in raids and battles.

"I do."

"Very well." The Minister motioned to Faulkner.

Lord Faulkner approached the stand, looking somewhat resigned. "Lucius Malfoy has been a long-time friend of mine," he said. "I was an associate of his father, Abraxas."

"Relevance?" A man snapped from the Wizengamot, looking irritated.

Faulkner stared at him wearily. "If you'll be so patient, I assure you everything I say is important."

At the Minister's acknowledging nod, Faulkner took a deep breath and continued.

"Abraxas had certain images to uphold, and as such everyone though Lucius was a spoiled child. I thought as much as well, at first."

Lucius behind him visibly stiffened, and Narcissa touched his arm lightly. From Lucius' expression, you could see he did not agree with Faulkner on what he was saying.

"There was an important business matter that came up and I flooed to the manor rather suddenly. Abraxas wasn't expecting my appearance. When I got there…" Faulkner trailed off, lost in thought. "His son was covered in blood and bruises. He fed me some lie about Lucius getting into a huge fight with a few of his peers, and I pretended to believe it as he began to heal his son." Faulkner confirmed the dark thought that was dancing in the back of Harry's mind. "Lucius Malfoy was abused, severely."

Disbelieving and shocked expressions surrounded the courtroom, but everyone knew what he was saying was truth, because of the vow he made in the beginning. No one was more shocked than Harry himself.

Lucius Malfoy, one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the wizarding world, was _abused_.

Lord Malfoy kept his head high under the stares, but he was visibly pale and his grey eyes were shadowed with pain. No matter his aristocratic demeanor, he was clearly suffering from this public announcement. In fact, he turned to stare at his lawyer with something akin to betrayal.

"He didn't want me to tell the court this today, or anyone for that matter," Faulkner continued softly, purposefully avoiding looking at Lucius. "But the Wizarding World needs to understand that this man did not willingly take the dark mark. His father was a cruel and sadistic man and would have killed his son at any of the slightest hesitation. Lucius lived in constant fear of torture or death as he was forced to commit terrible things that made him hate even himself." Faulkner paused, and the silence in the room was potent. "He was ordered to kill a muggle girl and her younger brother for his initiation after graduation. The next day he attempted suicide by slicing his arms, but was saved by his mother. The only reason I know of this was because I was the one his mother called in to stop the bleeding, because I was the only person with healing background she could trust with the knowledge of his dark mark."

Harry felt a sinking feeling inside him as Faulkner continued, and stared at Lucius Malfoy, who was now looking more vulnerable than Harry ever thought possible. The people around him listened with rapt horror.

"Lucius Malfoy was raised hearing how awful and destructive muggles were, and committed these crimes he had been told all his life were honorable in order to stay alive. Lucius had no other alternative. He pretended to support Voldemort, and entertained the thought of turning to Dumbledore for protection. But the moment he did that he knew his mother would be killed. And he couldn't take the chance of running away with her and being exposed, not with her life on the line as well." Deep sorrow was expressed on Faulkner's face. "Throughout the first war he tried to be merciful or kind at first, but it never ended well, as his opposition didn't return the favor. It resulted in him giving up, shutting down, and following orders impassively. Until, that is, he married Narcissa Black."

Narcissa, who had been trying to hold back tears, smiled weakly at her husband. Draco beside her looked like his whole world was shattering into millions of pieces. Harry realized that he probably hadn't known most of this.

"It was an arranged marriage," Lord Faulkner continued, "but they learned to care deeply for each other, even love. Draco was the best thing that ever happened for Lucius. I know that because he told me himself."

Draco looked at his father in surprise, his grey eyes wide. Lucius met his son's stare evenly. Moments passed before Lucius finally nodded and Draco smiled sincerely at his father. Harry realized that that was probably the closest thing to verbal love from Lucius that Draco ever received.

"But that was when he truly began to fear," Christopher Faulkner continued, shaking his head slightly. "His mother was already growing old, and Lucius waited for her death to escape the Death Eaters. But with a family for Voldemort to threaten, he had no way out."

"What about the order?" Kingsley asked, speaking up for the first time in minutes.

"Voldemort would slaughter him for any treason," Faulkner stated darkly, "and at the time he believed Severus Snape to be a true spy for Voldemort. If he ran to Dumbledore, Lucius thought Severus would quickly sell him out, even if Dumbledore was willing to help him, which he was doubtful of. Again, he couldn't risk it, and when the Dark Lord was killed by Mister Potter he believed it was all over. Sure, he had to appear furious around other Death Eaters or dark supporters, and raise his son in all the pureblood supremacy, but he thought it was finally over."

"But it wasn't," Harry whispered, deeply troubled by the tale, as he could see many people around him were as well.

"The second war came and he had to fight, for his family. Lucius did, however, fall from grace the last few years of Voldemort's existence for lack of dedication, and merely was a source of money and someone to torture." Anger flashed on his face at that last sentence. "Voldemort even marked his son, the center of his life."

Lucius turned to his son, who was clutching his marked arm in apparent distress. Lucius quickly looked away, ashamed and troubled.

"And during the final battle he tried to convince Voldemort to let him find his son," Harry said, recalling some of his visions from the Dark Lord. "Even in the end, he only wanted to protect his son."

Heads turned at that announcement, trying to digest what Harry shared as well as what Faulkner had expounded.

"Lucius Malfoy, you say you are guilty of all accusations?" The minister questioned, resting his chin on his propped up hands, deep in thought.

"Yes, Minister, I am," the Lord answered weakly, clearly not believing that anything Faulkner expressed could ever help him.

Kingsley nodded. "You did not wish for your lawyer to share this information?" he inquired.

"No," Lucius murmured, flashing dark looks at Faulkner.

"Why?" The minister asked, his eyes assessing the prisoner curiously.

"Because it would not change anything," Lucius answered curtly. "I killed and tortured knowingly, and willingly."

"It did not sound willingly from Lord Faulkner's testament," Shackelbolt noted.

"Damn it, I had a choice!" Lucius yelled angrily, speaking out for the first time in the trial. "I could've said no!"

"He would have killed you," Harry protested loudly.

Lucius met Harry's eyes directly. "I should have died, then," he said coldly. "It was my fault, and I will face the consequences of my actions."

"It is not your fault that you were forced against your will," Harry said quietly, but in the silence of the hall everyone could hear him. "You were abused, Lord Malfoy. Abuse twists you in ways nothing else does."

Grey eyes examined him in both confusion and sadness.

"Lucius Malfoy, do you deny having committed acts of murder?"

The grey eyes turned apathetic as he turned to face Kingsley. "No."

"Did you ever do these acts out of pleasure or any other reason besides survival?"

Lucius hesitated, taking a deep breath. "No," he finally answered. "I never did it for pleasure."

"You killed unwillingly?" The Minister asked seriously.

"Yes."

There were a few mutters of disbelief and outrage, but many were still lost in the horror of Malfoy Senior's past.

"Do you deny torturing others for any reason besides self-preservation?"

Lord Malfoy paused again. "No," he answered honestly. "At least, when the Dark Lord had me torture other Death Eaters I did not regret it, because I knew what awful acts they had committed."

"You only willingly tortured other people when they were Death Eaters?" Kingsley questioned.

"Yes," the blonde man replied.

"Did you ever rape another?" The Minister asked darkly.

Pure remorse and loathing flashed on his face for a moment, before vanishing. "Yes," he said, his face even more guarded.

Glares were sent his way and Kingsley's calm face became icy.

"Willingly?" he growled.

"Yes, to save them from other Death Eaters." Lucius' face became shadowed with inner pain. "I knew the others would ruin them, make them beg for death. I tried to be gentle. I even helped a few of them escape, but it was never enough." Complete and utter self-hatred was on his face, so much that Harry felt pangs of empathy stirring within him.

Narcissa looked at her husband with deep sympathy and love, clearly not deterred by what he was saying, which only added to Harry's belief that there was something more to this rape.

Harry knew if he had been in a similar situation, he probably would have simply refused, but that would have not helped those women and girls at all. Lucius did these horrific acts to give them a small chance at life or less pain at the end. The people around him didn't all realize what Lucius had been doing and sacrificing, but Harry recognized.

Kingsley, to Harry's surprise, realized the same thing. "You didn't do this for pleasure," he stated, his eyebrows raised. "You did this to try to ease their suffering, to maybe help them live."

"Are you joking, Minister?" A woman a few seats to his right snarled. "He clearly enjoyed himself! The monster-"

"I would never force myself upon a woman for enjoyment!" Lucius hissed dangerously, his face alit with fury. Sorrow suddenly overcame him, and he looked away. Narcissa gently touched his face, but he did not look up.

Harry found himself believing those words more than anything else said all night. There was clear passion in his voice, and inner suffering.

Lady Malloy spoke up, startling Harry by her insight. "Your father treated your mother poorly, Lord Malfoy?"

Lucius look up, stunned. He hesitated, looking torn, but his indecision spoke volumes to those watching. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, my mother was raped countless times, many of them in front of me," he whispered, disturbed.

The more Harry heard, the more upset and troubled he became. He had come to this trial, expecting Lucius to get a lifetime in Azkaban at the very least, but all of these revelations made Harry wish he could be redeemed or pardoned. It was unbelievable that one man he could come to hate so much could be such a different person behind his mask.

Kingsley, it seemed, had similar feelings. "Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, in honor of the reasons behind your crimes, I hereby offer a vote for a second chance. You would surrender your wand for a space of time, give up your lordship and titles, and be carefully monitored by a member of the Wizengamot. In six months time, if we of the Wizengamot believe these claims to be true and your intentions genuine, you will be free of all charges. If not, you will be sentenced to a lifetime in Azkaban."

Lucius gaped at the Minister, barely grasping his words. Narcissa and Draco looked at Kingsley with growing hope, while Harry nodded in approval.

"All in favor?"

Harry raised his hand, his heart beating rapidly, as he waited for the outcome of the events. Moments passed and still Harry waited. Hands went up, including the Lord and Lady next to him and the Minister. Harry surveyed the stands, counting desperately. It looked to be about half and half.

Kingsley did the same, before nodding and rising. "The verdict is in," he announced loudly, and all eyes bore into his tall, dark figure.

Harry waited, his heart pounding so hard he could barely hear Kingsley's next words. When he heard them, he turned to stare at Lucius Malfoy, speechless as the chains holding the man prisoner became undone.

Lucius Malfoy, one of the Dark Lord Voldemort's main supporters, was _free_.

* * *

**Were any of you expecting that? Haha, I don't think I even was for that last one entirely:) Sorry for the lack of Vala, there is plenty of her to come! Oh and for those of you who have been worried about the sudden change in Vala, don't worry there is much drama to come! Yes, in the last chapter she was actually joking with Harry, but it's only because she has a strong-willed and determined personality that is just starting to show... trust me, there will be many more problems with the slavery issue to come! Anyways, thanks for reading! Please review if you have time:) Happy reading!:)**


	7. Unseeing

**Hey everyone! *Ducks under rotten tomatoes* I know, I know! I'm sincerely sorry! Trust me, I wish I updating more too! That would mean I actually had time to do it! Anyways, enough of my sob story...**

**Well... your reactions to last chapter were interesting.. and somewhat amusing. Some of you were very mad at me, I noticed. Haha :) I do apologize for the lack of Vala in the last chapter, but this one should make up for it. Also, I know many of you were upset about Lucius getting let off the hook. I want you to know that in no way do I condone rape, nor was I trying to lessen the horror of that experience in anyway. But having a testimony like that, it is understandable for there to be a period of reevaluation. Lucius Malfoy isn't completely off the hook though, he could still land himself in Azkaban! The Malfoys, as you may notice by the ending of this chapter, are going to have a role in this story. The level of that is undetermined at this time, but I do plan on including them. Also, I really like the Malfoys, and I think the idea of a misunderstood!abused!Lucius is very interesting.**

**As a little side note, I was looking over my first few chapters, and the Hermione thing was bugging me too. I will probably go back and fix that sometime. I don't know what I was thinking when I posted it.. Haha :)**

**Anyways, done rambling! To the story... and beyond! ;)**

* * *

Vala stared across the room, shocked by the proceedings. Her grey eyes pierced into the back of Lucius Malfoy, a man who was now free… unlike her.

She pushed away her bitter thoughts, knowing how lucky she'd been with her master so far. Surely, if he would help free a Death Eater then the Boy-Who-Lived would help her gain her own freedom? But Vala knew all too well what it was like to be disappointed, and she also knew that her slavery bond was impossible to break, even if her master wanted to.

Vala wondered if Harry would have helped the Malfoys if he knew how they had treated her. Vala had only been with the Lestranges since they escaped Azkaban, but those few years Vala had had the poor fortune of meeting many of their acquaintances and Death Eater friends. The moments with the Malfoys were much less painful than the other experiences, but it was still something Vala wouldn't want to repeat. The dark-haired girl shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself.

Maybe they really have changed? Maybe it had all been an act? But the insults and superior looks had felt so real, so cutting. Surely it couldn't have all been a façade? They had watched her be punished over and over… and did _nothing_. Even Lucius Malfoy, when…

She forced herself to not think about it, fighting back the nausea. Instead, she watched as the dial tried to decide who would be supervising Lucius Malfoy. A few names were mentioned, but nothing definite. Vala did, however, notice her master speaking quietly to Kingsley, with a contemplative expression. Surely, he wouldn't be the one to supervise the man?

"Lucius Malfoy will stay at the ministry over night until it can be further discussed on which member of the Wizengamot will be responsible for him." Kingsley paused, looking around the court room. "Our current business is completed. Court adjourned."

Vala quickly got to her feet and pushed past the other viewers. Her master was staring at her, she noticed, as she waited near the door. The black-haired girl flashed a look at the Malfoys, who were sitting very close together, speaking in quiet, but joyful whispers. Vala turned away rapidly, closing her eyes tightly. How could Lucius Malfoy be pardoned? After everything he had done? Surely, he could have been doing it unwillingly, but he still did it! And the rape…

"Vala."

She turned to face her master, who was looking at her with concern.

"My lord," she murmured, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, touching her elbow lightly.

Vala nodded immediately, attempting to give him a reassuring smile, but she knew she failed miserable. Judging by his face, she was right in that assumption.

"Harry, Harry Potter!"

"Mr. Potter, can I have a word?"

"The Chosen One!"

"Mr. Potter, I work at the Daily Prophet!"

Vala looked up in alarm at the growing crowds, and she felt her master flinch slightly as she pressed herself closer to him. Vala tensed under all the stares, overwhelmed. Her master, seeming to sense this, wrapped a protective arm around her. She relaxed partially in his arms.

"Harry, who's the new girl?"

"What's her name?"

"Harry Potter has a girlfriend!"

Vala felt extremely disconcerted by the flashing cameras and mob of people and tried to compose herself. She couldn't let them see her distress, but she really wanted to be away from them. There were way too many people, and she just wanted it to _stop_! Her master, who was faring only slightly better, hurriedly pushed past the few people behind him, and through the door, with Vala clutching on his arm. The majority of them followed quickly, still trying to attract his attention. Vala felt her breathing grow desperate at the close proximity of all the people. She gasped in panic, and when the Gryffindor stopped, she tried desperately to calm herself, but it only got worse.

"It's okay Vala," her master whispered into her ear. "Deep breaths. In, and out. In, out. Nobody is going to hurt you. In, out."

Vala, although very much aware of her surroundings, was calmed slightly at his soothing words. She flashed him a thankful glance that he missed because of his intense glaring at the reporters. Vala felt something warm inside of her for an instant as she realized his anger was partly on her behalf.

"Mr. Potter, why did you defend the Malfoys in the trial?"

"Lord Potter, I'm Bryan Schemezer from the London Herald, who's the pretty girl-"

"My title is Lord Hallow," the Boy-Who-Lived announced loudly, his eyes narrowed. "And I have no statements at this time."

"But, Lord Hallow, surely you realize the public needs to know-"

Vala caught the anxious glance he sent her way as the man began to protest. She once again felt confused at how he could possibly feel such things for her.

"I will call a press conference on the fourteenth of this month," her master interrupted swiftly. "Until then I have absolutely nothing to say."

Vala noticed that this appeased most of the reporters, and the Gryffindor walked past the many witches and wizards, clutching tightly to her hand. They quickly left the floor of the court room, and the ministry. Vala sighed in relief as they got outside, and saw her master relax as well. With his arms around her, they apparated.

Staring at the large, magnificent castle, Vala was certain she was never more relieved to see Hogwarts in her life.

She glanced at her master beside her, biting her lip. He had been so protective when all those reporters came. She didn't deserve it. She was just a slave. He could do anything with her, he _owned_ her. But he had only shown her kindness. Even those few days ago, when she had been so convinced he was going to… do _that_. Deep inside she knew he was a good person, and wouldn't abuse her, but part of her still feared him. No matter how hard she tried to push it away, there was this irrational need to obey, to submit, and to fear. The past week she had constantly fought against her instincts and inner fears, but now they seemed to be all crashing on top of her.

He held her wrist as they walked towards the Room of Requirements, and she tried to think of something besides his touch. Part of her was comforted by it, but the other half imagined the same hand breaking it with a cruel smile.

He wouldn't do that, she tried to convince herself, but she knew it was a lie. The past week had been filled with false hope and pretenses. She was a slave. She wasn't his friend, no matter how much she wished it. And if the Malfoys came any closer into his life, he would realize that too. She was worthless and pathetic, and he would recognize that soon. Vala only hoped that she could have a few more days in this surreal feeling of being cared about.

She had tested him this week. She wanted to know his limits, know how far she would have to act out for him to punish her. But he hadn't, not even when she had run away from him and got him in trouble with the Headmistress. In fact, she hadn't even been scared when she did it. For a little bit, she had felt like an equal, _his_ equal. But she was a fake. She knew it, and he probably did too. Why would he ever care about her afterall?

"Sit down, Vala," her master stated quietly, his emerald eyes watching her with concern. "Relax. You're safe here."

Vala did so, trying to push back the desire to believe that statement and concern. Avoiding his gaze, she stared at the fire, lost in thought.

Her master frowned slightly, and also stared at the fireplace. Minutes passed in silence, and Vala noticed that he was now watching her intently.

"Why so quiet, Vala?" Her master asked her quietly.

Vala tensed slightly. "Just thinking, my lord," she whispered.

He nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin absentmindedly. "About what?" he asked softly.

Her eyes flickered over to him, before looking away quickly. She had to be honest, he was her master, but she couldn't voice her thoughts and feelings. He would be sure to punish her. The black-haired girl shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to," her lord assured her gently, noticing her discomfort.

Vala breathed a sigh of relief, nodded slightly. "I'd rather keep it to myself, if you don't mind, my lord," she whispered tentatively, afraid he would lash out at her for it.

Vala noticed his eyes narrow for an instant, and she stiffened. But as quickly as it came, it went, and he relaxed on the couch, smiling vaguely. They sat in silence again, both deep in thought.

"Vala?" he suddenly murmured.

"Yes?"

"What did you think of the trial?" he asked seriously, turning to face her.

She looked a bit surprised by his question, and wondered what to say. She couldn't tell him the truth: that she was terrified now, that she thought the Malfoys would show him just how worthless she was… how she was afraid to see Lucius Malfoy's cruel eyes. "I-well-it went well, my lord," she finally choked out.

"Yes," her master agreed softly. "It did. Better than I ever expected."

There was silence for a moment, and Vala gathered her courage.

"My lord?"

The black-haired lord looked over at her curiously. "Yeah?"

Vala took a deep breath, forcing herself to hold his gaze. "Who was that girl that defended Draco Malfoy?"

Her master smiled. "That was Ginny. She's the sister of Ron, who you met a few days ago. She's one of my best friends."

Vala nodded slightly. She had seen the way that the red-head, _Ginny_, and her master had interacted. And how angry her master had been…

"You have feelings for her, my lord?" she asked, without thinking.

The Boy-Who-Lived was startled by the question, and stared at her with shocked eyes.

She processed what she had just asked, and froze in fear. Stupid, stupid! "I'm sorry, my lord, it wasn't my place to-"

"No, no it's fine," he told her firmly, staring at the flames. He was silent for a moment, and Vala waited in her tense position. He turned back to face her, his face unreadable. "I used to. We are just friends now. She moved on, and I… I guess I have to."

Vala nodded at his words, mulling over them silently.

"How did you know? About me and Ginny that is."

Vala looked down, forcing herself to put on a blank face. "The way you reacted when you found out about the attempted rape. You were probably the most furious person in the room."

"I was," her master agreed quietly, his eyes dark. "It, well, it reminded me of _you_ as well. Thinking about how you didn't have someone to stop it… how there was no Draco Malfoy for you." He closed his eyes, looking as if he was about to be sick.

Vala gasped, closing her eyes tightly. She knew he was lying. He was just trying to lead her into a false sense of security, and then he would end it swiftly, in his own sick amusement. The Lestranges had been the same. They enjoyed playing mind games, cruelly crushing all her notions that anyone could love _her_. But she couldn't fall for it again, not now, not when she actually cared back.

"Vala, you have no idea how disgusted I feel when I think about it," he whispered, his emerald eyes bearing into her with deep sincerity.

Vala knew she was shaking, but she couldn't stop it.

"The thought of that man even touching you at all-" he broke off, breathing heavily. "I promise you Vala… that will _never_ happen again."

For some reason, Vala wanted to believe him. He sounded so sincere, so certain, but she knew that she couldn't trust this empty promise.

She flinched violently when he touched her hand, but he made no reaction to her response. Slowly, his fingers brushed against her hand. She forced herself to be unmoving from the light touch, forcing her body to react as she was trained. Master Lestrange had hated it when she flinched away when he touched her. It always hurt more when she fought him and pulled away from him. She knew what these light touches would turn into. Harry had promised her that Master Lestrange would no longer touch her, but she understood his hidden meaning. She was _his_ now.

The light brushes continued, and Vala was still forcing herself to relax. She had expected for him to make another move by now, maybe even move those touches somewhere else, but his hand did not move from her own. Soon enough, she found herself actually relaxing, instinctively. Minutes later, the hand pulled away, and her eyes flashed to meet his. She tensed again, waiting.

"Vala, I want to try something," he said softly. "Do you trust me?"

The black-haired girl stopped breathing, unmoving.

"I won't hurt you, Vala. Ever." He stared into her face earnestly, his hand reaching out to grip her own hand gently.

Vala looked at their clasped hands, forcing herself to breath evenly. The, she realized, he wasn't hurting her. It felt… nice. Hesitantly, she looked back up to stare into his kind, green eyes. Finally, she gave him the tiniest of nods.

He leaned in suddenly, his breath hot on her neck, causing shivers to run up her spine. "I order you to address me as Harry," he murmured.

She gasped, pulling back in shock. "My lord-" she began to protest, but then stopped in horror, realizing her mistake too late.

The pain came, as it always did, and she fell to the ground, stifling a scream. Her nerves were burning, and her entire body felt as if it was being stabbed. A crushing feeling pressed on her chest, and she gasped desperately, trying to breathe. The unforgivable had nothing on this. She _wished_ she was under the cruciatus curse. Compared to this pain, the unforgivable was nothing. This was the epitome of pure agony. She couldn't think, couldn't move, all she knew was the pain.

"Shh, Vala, it's okay," a voice was telling her. "I'm sorry. I should have explained before…"

Vala wondered in the back of her mind who was speaking to her, but the pain was too much. Suddenly, the pain lessened, and she gathered some of her senses. She knew she was up against someone else's body, but she couldn't understand why. Oh, it hurt. She curled up, fighting back the screams.

"It will be over soon, Vala," he whispered to her. "I'm so, deeply sorry. I-" the voice broke off, but not before Vala registered who it was.

It was her _master_. He was holding her again, like he did the last few times the spell took its price. He was, however, perfectly correct with his first statement. She _did_ feel the pain slowly fade away. Finally, the sharp stabs, the burning and the crushing were all gone, but her body still ached. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and stared into her master's face.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but he swiftly raised her hand, causing her to flinch back. She waited for the pain to continue, for him to finally give into his anger, but all she felt was a light touch on her cheek. The hand trailed up and down the right side of her face. She also realized that she was in his lap, but she didn't dare move away, not that she was certain she could even move her body yet.

"I was only trying to warn you from speaking," he whispered suddenly, dropping his hand, and causing her eyes to open quickly. "I wouldn't hit you Vala. I'm not my uncle."

Vala took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She noticed the way his eyes darkened at the reference to his uncle, and she considered the abuse he told her about. Truly, he seemed to loath child abuse… it almost seemed like he didn't want to hurt her at all. This week, when she had let her guard down even, there had been no physical out lash. None at all. It was almost a foreign concept to her, but she liked it.

"Hermione and I did some research," he said, changing the topic unexpectedly. "We found out that my orders overcome everything but the punishment for breaking them. You do not need to call me… _that_."

The dark-haired girl listened in shock, trying to process what he was saying. Surely, it couldn't be true.

His arms tightened around her, as if sensing her doubt. "I'm sorry. I should have told you before I attempted it…. I made you go through all that pain again."

Vala met his eyes, overwhelmed. Was this real? Was he _apologizing_ and trying to _help_ her find a way around the bond?

"Try to trust me, Vala," her master murmured, his eyes pleading. "I know you don't have much reason to, but I care about you. I know what it feels like to be lied to, to be tricked. I know you're afraid to believe me. I went through the same thing because of my relatives. Please Vala, let me in. I don't want you to suffer alone."

She stared at him for a long time, inwardly fighting with herself. She could trust him so easily, she knew it. She believed his words, wanted him to help her… but oh Merlin, she was afraid! And she didn't know if she could handle more pain, it had hurt so badly. Finally, she gathered what little courage she had, and met his gaze.

Vala took a deep breath, her eyes shut, as if bracing herself for pain. Yet, she still whispered, "Harry."

She thought she would feel the pain again, but no punishment came. She gasped, her heart leaping in her chest. It had _worked_. "Harry," she repeated, expecting the pain to come, as if it was just a mistake. Moments passed, but still there was nothing. The truth sunk in, and she felt tears fall unwillingly from her eyes. "Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry," she sobbed.

He wiped away the tears gently, smiling at her widely. She felt herself be maneuvered, so her back was no longer against his chest, but her face. And, for once, she wasn't afraid by the close proximity. She wasn't fighting back the urge to run as he held her close and ran a hand gently through her hair.

Her master would delight in her pain and suffering. But _Harry_ was different. He wasn't going to hit her, or use her, or curse her. She relaxed, inwardly reveling in her newfound freedom.

That night, they sat in the warmth of the fire, momentarily forgetting the concerns that plagued them. For one night, they were just Vala and Harry, and nothing more.

* * *

The next morning, Harry woke up groggily. He felt a weight on his side, and glanced over in confusion. A black-haired girl was lying halfway on him, her arms and legs entangled with his, and her head resting on his chest. Realizing they must have fallen asleep last night, he smiled. Observing her silently, he marveled at how serene she appeared. His eyes moved over her face, awed at how beautiful she was. His eyes continued down her body, and realized that her dress had ridden up during the night, and reached to her upper thighs. He blushed slightly and forced himself to look away, turning back to observe her face once again.

He didn't know how long he laid there, his head propped up by the couch. He didn't think he could ever tire of watching Vala sleep. There was something peaceful about her, vulnerable. She didn't look like she was trying to hide her emotions or fight off urges to run. She was just being.

Harry went over the events of last night in his mind, smiling to himself. It had worked! And Vala had even trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms-him, a man! After all that had happened to her, surely that showed something about their level of trust now.

Although, he felt terrible for the pain he caused her. He had rushed into something recklessly again and Vala paid the price. She hadn't even blamed him for it. She was too forgiving, too accepting. And he knew it would take her a while to get used to using his actual name. She could be punished at any given moment for a slip of the tongue. Harry thought rapidly, disturbed by that thought. Maybe, he would have to reword the order?

Vala stirred suddenly in his arms, shifting slightly. Slowly, she opened her eyes, still looking drowsy. She looked at him in confusion, and glanced down at their entwined bodies. Blushing bright red, she attempted to detangle herself, murmuring apologies. When she did, he moved up slowly to sit on the couch, but she remained on the floor. On her knees, she faced him, lowering her eyes.

"Vala?"

She looked up for an instant, still blushing. Harry could honestly say he never thought anyone was more adorable. Leaning forward, he grabbed her by her arms, and pulled her next to him. She was clearly startled.

"I order you to never bow down to me, unless the situation requires it," Harry told her, adding the loophole quickly just in case. Remembering last night, he added, "and I order you to address me as you wish, with no consequences on what you choose."

Vala's eyes widened. "My lord, I-"

"Harry," he corrected quietly. "I only said the last one so if you forget you won't get hurt. I have not changed my mind on that and I never will. I _want_ you to use my name."

She smiled hesitantly, but Harry noticed something was still off.

"Vala, I know something has been bothering you… Ever since the trial you have been acting different." He paused, scanning her face. "Did I do something wrong? Did something happen at the trial?"

Vala bit her lip, averting her eyes. "I'm fine."

Harry could tell she was lying, and took a deep breath. "Vala, I need to know if something is bothering you. If you have problems with something… like the Malfoys… I _must_ know."

"Why?" she asked, quite boldly for her. "Why must you know?"

Harry didn't answer at first, and instead tried to think of how to respond. "Vala, I owe Narcissa Malfoy a life debt," he finally murmured. "I heard how Lucius Malfoy suffered through severe abuse, like… like me. And Draco… well he's changed. What he did for Ginny… I feel like I must help, somehow. Other people might abuse the authority they have over the family. They have no money, no titles, nothing to offer. I, on the other hand, have everything to offer."

Usually Vala hid her emotions from clear view, but Harry was startled by the pure fear in her eyes. She was also shaking, and her breathing was irregular.

"Vala?" he whispered, concerned.

She turned away and wrapped her arms around her body tightly. Harry kneeled in front of her, staring into her troubled, grey orbs.

"It's the Malfoys, isn't it?" he asked softly.

She shook her head jerkily.

"Vala, please don't lie to me, not about this. If you have a problem with them, I want to know." He paused, noticing her still tense posture. "Vala, if there is really something wrong, I promise you that I will not be the one to oversee them. Not if it bothers you."

Her arms relaxed from their tight grip around her torso, and she stared at him in shock. "My lord?"

"Harry," he murmured, reaching forward to grasp her hands. He met her eyes, smiling gently when she didn't flinch away.

"Harry," she agreed quietly, staring down at their intertwined hands.

Harry waited for her to gather the resolve to tell him what was wrong, and several moments passed.

"They visited the Lestranges often, the Malfoys," she finally whispered, her eyes dark.

Harry stiffened slightly at those words. He has assumed that the Lestranges and Malfoys stay in close contact, but the way Vala said it made it sound terrible. Vala glanced at him, not meeting his eyes directly.

"They never… did anything," Vala whispered. "Not really, anyways. They were just… _there_… while Mistress Lestrange would torture me, starve me, insult me…." she trailed off, pulling her hands away from his. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, in a defensive position, her eyes vacant.

"Vala?" Harry murmured, concerned by her movements and her words, and angry over the admissions she had made. Of course, he had guessed what had happened in that household, but he really hated hearing the confirmation from her. And the way she still used Mistress Lestrange disturbed him, as if Vala still thought she was owned by her.

"Lucius Malfoy, he was there," she said suddenly, without emotion.

Harry froze even more. By the way she had said those words, the Gryffindor knew she wasn't speaking in general. It sounded more like she was referencing to a certain event. "He was there during what?"

Vala looked up to meet his eyes, and Harry was shocked by how haunted she appeared.

"Lucius Malfoy was there when Master Lestrange tried to rape me."

* * *

**Wow, now you guys all REALLY hate Lucius Malfoy! I'm not helping, am I? Hehe. You'll just have to wait till next chapter (which hopefully will come along faster than this one did). And I know that some of you were jarred by the sudden change in Vala. Now it is all explained! And I told you she was gonna have some setbacks... although there was also a few steps forward in this chappie as well! **

***** Oh and by the way, what did you think of the Vala POV? Should I do it again? Yah, or nay? *****

**Anyways, please leave me a review, I love to hear from you! Happy reading :)**


	8. Forcing

Previously...

"_Vala?" Harry murmured, concerned about her movements and her words and angry over the admissions she had made. Of course he had guessed what had happened in that household, but he really hated hearing the confirmation from her. And the way she still used Mistress Lestrange disturbed him, as if Vala still thought she was owned by her. _

"_Lucius Malfoy, he was there," she said suddenly, without emotion. _

_Harry froze even more. By the way she had said those words the Gryffindor knew she wasn't speaking in general. It sounded more like she was referencing to a certain event. "He was there during what?" _

_Vala looked up to meet his eyes and Harry was shocked by how haunted she appeared. _

"_Lucius Malfoy was there when Master Lestrange tried to rape me."_

* * *

Lucius Malfoy leaned back on the uncomfortable Ministry seat, sighing as he flipped aimlessly through the newspaper. At the headlines _A Family of Murderers set free, Potter Hoodwinked?, _Lucius sighed and threw down the paper on the table in front of him. He had been wondering the same thing. It was so like Potter to be forgiving, but he had also seen Potter in the heat of the Final Battle. There was definitely a reason behind Potter's actions.

Lucius examined the Ministry room once again, and held back a sigh. The white walls, small cot, and pathetic bathroom were still as bland as twenty minutes ago. But seeing since he had been expecting death or Azkaban at the very least, he couldn't be too picky.

The events from the prior day replayed over and over in his mind, and he rubbed his aching forehead. Only voices from outside his prison brought him out of his rumination.

"We have strict orders-"

"I don't give a rat's ass-"

"Mr. Potter, we must insist-"

Mr. Potter? Lucius sat up, listening intently. What was the Boy-Who-Lived doing here?

"I didn't save all of your damn lives for nothing," the Gryffindor said dangerously. "Let me in. Now."

The guards must have valued their own lives, because they offered no further argument and let him in promptly. Harry Potter stepped into the cramped living space, his emerald eyes narrowed and his aura practically flaring. Lucius apprehensively stared at the young lord as he strode impressively over to the blonde.

"Mr. Potter. To what do I owe this great-" Lucius stopped short when the Gryffindor pulled out his wand, a murderous expression on his face.

"_Legilimency_," Harry Potter hissed.

Lucius knew instantly that Potter was a novice legilimens, but what he lacked in experience he made up in brutal strength. The blond wizard was knocked to the ground as the memories flew by, and he was too shocked to conjure enough resistance against him.

The memories flew by. He was at the Ministry… He was with his wife, eating dinner…. He was watching his son fly around the manor on his broom…. He was at a revel, with a scantily clad young woman shaking at his feet…

Instead of pushing past this memory, the Chosen One focused on it fiercely.

_Laughter rang around the room. The Death Eaters had forgone their masks and many were pulled women into separate rooms. Some didn't even have the decency to seek privacy for their monstrous deeds, and were stripping the girls in the open. _

_Harry felt Lucius' disgust as he stared at them, but he sneered convincingly as he grabbed a young woman himself. Lucius knew she was lucky. Unlike the last one she could be spared. The Dark Lord had gifted the other to him personally. This girl would not be missed. _

_Harry listened to the memory Lucius' thoughts and he was partly relieved that the man had been telling the truth at the trial. _

"_Come on mudblood," Lucius hissed at the dark-haired girl at his feet._

_Lucius grabbed her roughly, ignoring her terrified face. She pushed him away weakly, but he merely tightened his grip on her. The blond Death Eater led her away into an empty room, and quickly set up protective spells around the area. She was shaking in terror on the bed. Harry noticed she was maybe a year or so younger than him._

"_What's your name?" Lucius asked her quietly, making no move towards her._

"_Mary Jenkins," she said defiantly._

_She glared at him behind her tears, and Harry had to respect her courage in the situation. Lucius stepped towards her, and she quickly backed up against the farthest wall._

"_I'm not going to hurt you Miss Jenkins," he said quietly, stopping at her defensive position. _

_At her disbelieving face, Lucius quickly explained that he had a portkey that would take her back to his wife. After he had convinced her, she thanked him quietly and gripped the pendant. Whispering "Sanctuary", the young woman disappeared. _

_Lucius heaved a sigh of relief. His wife would obliviate her and return her to a safe place. Now he just had to make it out without suspicion and there would be no loose ends….._

Harry tore out of his mind violently, shocked. Lucius weakly sat up, gripping his head tightly.

"I knew you weren't lying," Harry whispered. "Of course you couldn't, you were under vow. But Vala… how could you?"

Lucius looked up abruptly at her name. "I saw you with her in the paper. I thought I was seeing things…"

"I'm her master now," Harry growled at him. "I had to become her master to save her life. What you disgusting, prejudiced monsters did to her-" Harry broke off, fighting back the urge to hit the man, and instead gripped Lucius by his silk shirt. "_Legilimency_," he hissed again, seeking a particular memory this time.

He found it.

_Vala was on her knees by a tall, dark-haired man that Harry knew had to be Rodolphus Lestrange. The man was smirking at Lucius._

"_After all the destruction her filthy, traitorous father made to the manor, she has to make up for it somehow," Lestrange sneered at Lucius before leering at her. _

"_Of course, Rodolphus," Lucius said, with an equally cruel smile._

"_On the bed girl."_

_Harry held back the urge to curse the man into oblivion when Vala lowered herself onto the bed shakily. Vala had told him, but seeing this…. He loathed Rodolphus Lestrange. If he wasn't already dead then the man would be tortured to insanity under his wand. His attention was so focused on Vala that he missed how Lucius stiffened beside Lestrange. _

"_Strip slowly," Lestrange ordered._

_She followed his order, and slowly lifted her shirt over her body. Her torso was littered with bruises and gashes, and her ribs were clearly showing. She hesitantly shed her skirt as well. Under their gazes, she paused as they observed her in her underwear. Lucius was staring at her expressionlessly while Lestrange had clear lust on his face as his eyes roamed over her body. _

"_Did I tell you to stop whore?" Lestrange hissed when she stayed frozen. "You forget your place slave. Continue. _Now_!"_

_Vala trembled, but didn't move. In the next instant he slapped her harshly. She fell against the bed, but didn't show any sign of outward pain. _

_The memory Lucius was observing with horror as Lestrange forced himself upon her. He roughly fondled her, and Harry watched in pure fury._

_Finally Lucius could take no more, and he pulled Lestrange off her. The man cursed at him, confused. Lucius nonverbally stunned him and kneeled beside his still body on the floor. _

"Obliviate_," he whispered, and he expertly rearranged the man's memories so he remembered only pieces of the encounter. _

_Turning back to the petrified Vala, he quickly clothed her with a flick of his rest. Pointing his wand at her, he whispered the memory spell again._

_She would remember this experience and believe he had done nothing while Lestrange had attacked her. Luckily, the man hadn't raped her completely. But this would still be a traumatic experience, and Lucius wished he could do more. But it was too risky to completely remove it. And he could not save the girl from future attacks. She had been around for too long in too many of the man's memories. It would be impossible for him to alter all of them inside Lestrange's mind. _

_He paused momentarily as he stared into her grey eyes. She looked like…. But he pushed away the idea before it formed, and turned back to Rodolphus. _

"_Thank Merlin for alcohol," Lucius muttered to himself._

Harry came out of the memory again, furious out of his mind as well as stunned. So Lucius Malfoy truly had not harmed her… but Lestrange on the other hand…

Lucius stared at the Boy-Who-Lived warily as he heaved himself up to a standing position. "She thought… and you…" He massaged his temples. "I'm not a saint, Mr. Potter, but I couldn't let that happen."

"Thank you," Harry whispered, staring intensely into the other man's eyes. "I know you've done some awful things…. But thank you for saving _her_."

Lucius nodded weakly and collapsed into the chair.

"I was thinking of being your overseer Malfoy," Harry continued to tell him. "But I can't. Not with Vala. I'll find you a just person, but that's all I can do."

"You've been more than fair," he rasped.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I have." He turned around and walked off, but stopped and turned back at the last second. "How did you get through it? The abuse that is."

Although Lucius was surprised by the question he didn't show it. "I didn't," he replied honestly. "At least not until I married Narcissa."

Harry thought of Vala and nodded.

"Goodbye Mr. Malfoy," he murmured.

* * *

Harry relayed the story to Vala the next hour, but he noticed she still seemed troubled. Her face was as expressionless as ever, but her eyes were vacant and dull.

"Vala," he murmured as he lightly touched her wrist. "Please, say something. Tell me how you're doing."

She stared at the hand on her wrist. "I'm fine my lord."

"Vala."

She looked up at his anguished tone. "Don't worry about it Harry."

He breathed a sigh of relief when she said his given name, but still observed her anxiously. "I am worrying about it Vala. I'm worried about _you_."

"Don't," she told him quietly. "It's fine. It was a while ago."

"It was only a few months ago Vala," Harry told her firmly. "It's not something you can just push away. If you need to talk about-"

"I don't," she interrupted, but then took an automatic step back when she realized she cut him short. "I'm sorry," she apologized quickly.

"No," Harry said, rubbing a hand over his face. "It's me. I'm being pushy." He sighed before grabbing both of her hands. He gently uncurled them from their tense position and lightly held them.

She smiled shyly, glancing at their hands. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked her curiously.

"For trying to fix it."

The young lord observed her thoughtfully. "I was seeking justice. I had helped him get out of the death penalty. I needed to make sure it was the right decision."

A brief look of hurt flashed over her features and Harry caught it. She took a few steps away from him.

"Vala?"

She smiled at him, but he could tell something was off. They stood in silence for a moment, and he observed her changed manner in confusion.

"Let's go take a walk," Harry suggested, hoping she'd open up to him.

Vala hesitated, but reluctantly nodded in consent. They exited the Room of Requirements and eventually made it outside onto the grounds. The walk there was in unsettling silence, and he noticed Vala stayed a good distance away from him. When they neared the lake Harry sat down below his favorite tree, examining the beautiful scenery. Vala seemed to momentarily forget her concerns and also sat down, smiling slightly as she gazed at the lake.

"I wish I could have been here all these years," Vala murmured, caught up in the beauty of her surroundings.

"Me too," Harry said, also staring into the distance.

They sat in silence, but Harry noticed in relief that it was much more comfortable. Vala's arm was even brushing against his own.

"Vala?"

She turned to him, her expression still more guarded than he would have liked.

"What did I say earlier that upset you?" he asked. When she didn't answer right away, he rushed ahead. "Did you not want me to seek out Mr. Malfoy? I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries. I just wanted to not feel so…. so…. helpless."

She startled him by a soft laugh, and he stared at her in confusion.

"You are unlike anyone I've ever met," she told him candidly, but she still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Well, seeing your options, I'll take that as a compliment," Harry breathed.

She smiled at that. "True."

Vala turned away, and Harry noticed a certain strand of hair fell over her face. He brushed it away instinctively, and she turned back to him in surprise.

"Sorry," he murmured, still not moving his hand from her face.

She stared at him, blushing slightly, and he finally seemed to realize what he was doing. He quickly pulled away and flushed a bright red.

"I thought you only went to protect your honor," she said abruptly.

He turned back to her, instantly forgetting his embarrassment. "What?"

She hesitated, as if regretting her decision to speak, but continued quietly. "I thought that was why you went to see Lucius Malfoy. Not because of what I told you, but because of what it meant."

"Oh," Harry breathed, realization hitting him. He thought back to their earlier conversation and groaned. "_Oh_. I'm such an idiot." He turned to face Vala directly. "I went for you Vala," he told her sincerely. "I'm an idiot if you thought otherwise."

She smiled at that, reassured. "No, you're not," she contradicted him.

He turned to her in surprise, raising his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Maybe you're a little scatterbrained… And moronic at times…. And a bit thick…." She grinned at him charmingly, and he had to grin back at the fact she was teasing him. "But you're no idiot Harry Potter."

Harry laughed at that, and rolled his eyes. "Why thank you for that wonderful compliment Miss Vala-" he cut himself off, suddenly serious. "I don't even know you're last name. All this time and no last name."

Vala tensed beside him.

"Vala?" he murmured.

She stood up suddenly and walked closer to the lake with her back facing him. He also got to his feet and followed her. He touched her back lightly, and stepped back when she flinched violently.

She hadn't reacted like that since after the trial. Harry watched her in worry, wondering why this simple question had made her react so strongly.

"I don't really love my name either Vala," he said softly. He walked over to stand in front of her, and sighed when she avoided his gaze. "You can tell me anything. I promise."

She took a step back, shaking her head. "Not this. If you knew-" she broke off, backing up more until her back hit the tree.

"Vala, please," Harry murmured, taking a single step closer. He held out his hand. "You can trust me."

"Trust is what got me in this mess," she screamed at him.

Realizing she had yelled at him, her eyes widened. When Harry only stared at her with stunned disbelief and her bonding spell did not react, she turned and sprinted away. After a minute Harry had come to his senses, and he quickly took after her. But she was fast, and he lost her almost immediately.

The next few hours were spent with him desperately searching the rooms. He knew she must still be at Hogwarts, but there were thousands of places to hide. Groaning, he berated himself for having lent the Marauder's Map to George Weasley. George had wanted it for testing and Harry gave it to him quickly, knowing that the now twin-less man would need any distraction from his loss. And now he was cursing his generosity.

It wasn't until late that night that he finally found her. He had been seeking Headmistress McGonagall for some assistance, and had been puzzled when she was not in her office. Harry had resorted to looking in the Transfiguration classroom, hoping that he would find the Headmistress there.

He did. And she hadn't been alone. Apparently Vala was very good at chess.

Harry watched the exchange for about a half an hour before he was noticed. Vala was giving Minerva McGonagall quite the competition, which was surely saying something owing to the giant chess set from Harry's first year.

Harry wondered in what state Minerva had found Vala. Ron and Hermione have talked to Minerva about the situation, but it was still uncharted territory for the Headmistress. Despite that, right now the black-haired girl looked very calm. Vala didn't look as if she had a care in the world. Actually, she looked too calm. Almost as if….

"Checkmate."

Minerva groaned at the younger woman's pleased countenance.

"Who taught you dearie?" Minerva asked her. "You would give Mister Weasley a run for his money, I do say."

A pretty blush came over her features, but she also seemed a bit distracted. "My grandfather," she said quietly, and Harry barely heard her.

"Well he must be a good teacher," Minerva said briskly, smiling gently at the young woman across from her.

Vala stiffened instantly, but then quickly relaxed. "Runs in the family I suppose," she stated.

Harry could tell Minerva was curious. Merlin, _he_ was curious! But judging by the preoccupied look on Vala's face, she wasn't going to spill out all her childhood stories.

Harry finally stepped out of the shadows, and Vala started in surprise. Minerva merely peered at him carefully through her spectacles, with a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Hello Professor, Vala," he greeted, with a cheerful grin. "Nice game Vala," he added, nodding to the wary black-haired girl.

"Hello Potter," Minerva said, with a small smile. "Vala's told me you are still living in the Room of Requirements."

Harry didn't miss the way Minerva used Vala's given name but not his, and smiled to himself in amusement. "We were planning on getting a new place, Professor, as soon as possible."

Minerva waved that off. "You might as well stay in some guest quarters, Potter. Or at least until you get a place of your own. There was no need to reside in the come-and-go room all this time."

"Of course, Ma'am," Harry agreed, grinning.

"I'll get it ready for you then. Come to my office in an hour."

When he nodded, his eyes only on Vala, Minerva simply smiled knowingly and got to her feet. She bid the two of them goodbye, offering Vala an encouraging smile, and then gracefully left the room.

Vala avoided his gaze, but Harry couldn't take his eyes off her. She trailed a single finger down her scar, and he found himself overwhelmingly curious.

"Can I ask you something?" Harry asked her quietly. "Not about your parents," he added hastily to reassure her.

She looked at him curiously at his last comment.

"Where did you get that scar? From Bellatrix?"

She tensed, and quickly moved her hair over the long, jagged mark. When she didn't answer, he sighed.

"I understand," he murmured, and turned away.

Merlin, he had hoped she would be able to open up to him. But she was obviously as nervous around him as ever. And he couldn't do anything right. At times he thought that she was warming up to him, even liked him, but then she would shut down when he got to close. Harry had opened up desperately to people his first year at Hogwarts, seeking acceptance, but Vala was the opposite. She wanted isolation, even from him, who could understand her pains more than the next.

A light touch came to his upper arm, and he spun around, wand out instinctively. The dark-haired girl backed up instantly, but she shockingly didn't look afraid as she eyed the wand. The Gryffindor instantly lowered it, feeling suddenly vulnerable.

"Sorry, instincts," he muttered.

Vala eyed him with sudden interest. "Will you teach me?"

Harry titled his head, puzzled. "What?"

"Will you teach me more magic?" Vala fingered her own wand at her skirt's waistband. "My magical learning was cut short. Besides dark magic of course," she added darkly.

Harry frowned at her explanation, but he softened when she scanned his face. "Of course. We… We have an hour until we can go to our new quarters. We could start now? I know it's been a tiring day and all…"

"Maybe tomorrow?" she said quietly, surprisingly offering her own opinion.

He eyed her thoughtfully, a bit startled, but smiled slightly. "Yeah, sure." He walked towards the chess board. "How about this instead?"

Vala laughed at him.

"What?" Harry asked, acting mock offended.

"I'm sorry Harry, but you are not gifted in the art of subtlety. I have a feeling chess isn't your cup of tea."

Harry raised an eyebrow at her matter-of-fact tone, bemused by her sudden change of mood. "Oh really?" he challenged, pushing away his confusion at her behavior and grinning at her.

She simply sat down, smirking slightly at him. He sat across from her, boldly meeting her gaze. She stared at him for a while, before laughing again.

"White goes first Harry."

"Of course," Harry said nonchalantly, trying to play it off, and smiling inwardly at making her laugh twice.

He quickly made his move, and Vala raised a single eyebrow.

"You sure-"

"Just play, Miss General Extraordinaire," Harry said mockingly.

She smiled at him. "That's my plan."

* * *

Harry could honestly say he had never felt so humiliated in his life. Vala really had a gift, even more than Ron. He would love to see those two at it. But something good did come from his many quick, painful losses. He told stories about his adventures at Hogwarts, and she had laughed several times. She even volunteered a story of her own about learning how to fly, but he noticed she would stop short and hesitate at times. He wondered what she was hiding, but knew not to pry. If he learned anything that day, it was that Vala would open up in her own time. Trying to force the issue would only make matters worse.

They settled into their new quarters that night, and Harry sighed as he lay in bed. Vala had left him with a lot to think about, and he still had more issues of his own. He had completely pushed aside the matter of his blocked magic and inheritance issues, and not to mention the many problems concerning a post-war. Groaning, he realized he promised a press conference to those pariahs as well. And he still had to deal with the Malfoys. Not only Lucius, but also Draco. His old rival better be treating Ginny right… he needed to check with Ginny to make sure.

Harry got lost in thought as he considered Ginny and Vala. Vala had seemed very interested in her, almost concerned. Perhaps because of her situation with Draco…

Harry drifted to sleep around midnight, but the black-haired enigma in the next room over was still wide awake. All the questions Harry had posed earlier that day left her wondering. She fingered her scar, lost in painful memories. She could almost hear his voice, calling to her…..

Thank Merlin he was dead. He had to be. All was well.

But part of her didn't believe it. Part of her was waiting, fearing the moment he would stare into her very soul with his chilling blue eyes, smiling coldly as he whispered, "granddaughter."

* * *

**Well…. Hello strangers! I am very sorry about the wait. I really couldn't force myself to sit down and write this chapter for some reason. You have plums to thank for this update; this wonderful person gave me the much needed push to start writing. I doubt they realized it, but thanks to plum regardless :) And to all of you that have reviewed, you always brighten my day!**

**Anyways, you can tell Harry is as curious as you all to learn who Vala's parents are. But as I may have hinted in the story, it's her grandfather that really is the interesting character. This story, if you haven't realized yet, is very AU. So her family should be a bit of a twist :) I appreciate the many guesses going around. As some of you have believed, the Malfoys are involved, but not exactly how most of you have thought. Anyways, enough hinting… ;) **

**Hopefully my next update will be faster. I know I'm awful with updating quickly, but hopefully it's better than nothing. Happy reading and please review if you are in a forgiving mood :)**


	9. Contradicting

**Wait a second, an update? I know what you're all thinking... it hasn't been a month yet! Well, despite what many of you may think, I am actually capable of updating sooner. I owe it to all of you wonderful reviewers who just held me at gun-point to write another chapter. That, and Vala and Harry were dancing in my mind all the time. So here you go, another chapter! Enjoy Enjoy, and keep on guessing folks :) I love how many of you think it's Dumbledore. Poor Dumbles, nobody likes you ;)**

* * *

Harry knew that after his magic was unblocked that he was a lot more powerful. He hadn't realized how much until he started to instruct Vala. He no longer put an exhausting amount of effort into spells. Everything was so much more natural.

Vala, to his surprise, was very even with him. Much of her knowledge was for some reason limited to Fourth or Fifth Year spells, but she didn't really answer when he asked why. But she learned very quickly and took to magic better than anyone he had ever met. And she had shown him a few spells of her own, but Harry noticed they bordered on dark magic. He found that it didn't bother him as much as it would have the year before.

A week had passed since the incident with Vala running away from him and things were still a little shaky at times. But training had given them something to do together, and Harry was certain that it was making her more and more relaxed around him.

Harry had been worried about how the bonding spell would react to them dueling, but she had begged him to at least try. So on the second day of training, Harry had reluctantly obliged. After ordering her to use magic freely, even against him, he had been very relieved to see that the spell had cooperated.

So far, the slavery spell was becoming less and less demanding. Each day he added more and more loopholes to the bond. She could address him as she chose and did not have to bow. She would not be punished for disagreeing with him or not answering. Vala no longer had to ask permission to do every little thing. In fact, Harry was certain that the only thing she could not do was try to escape, directly disobey an order, or try to kill him. The last was the reason that they had limited their dueling to lighter magic. Although he had permitted her to duel against him, no order can allow her to come close to killing him.

A purr broke him out of his thoughts, and he raised an eyebrow at the newly transfigured cat in Vala's arms. She was petting the cat lightly, smiling to herself.

"I see you are on your way to mastering Transfiguration," Harry said, grinning. "And I had no idea you liked cats. Professor McGonagall will be so pleased."

Vala also grinned at that.

Harry walked over and petted the cat. It gave Harry a snobbish glare, and Vala laughed. Harry pulled his hand away, disgruntled.

"Just like Mione's cat. Honestly." Harry pouted.

"Mione?"

"Hermione," Harry explained.

"Oh."

Harry watched her carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If you aren't comfortable with them coming-"

"No, no, it's fine," she told him as she tickled the cat's belly.

He scanned her face for any signs of deception, but she was doing a very good job of keeping perfectly calm. He sighed. "Well they should get here any second anyways. But if anytime when they are here you feel uncomfortable…"

Vala touched him lightly on his arm. "You worry too much, Harry."

He smiled at her initiation of contact, but it slipped quickly off his face. "I'm serious Vala. Any little twinge of anything negative and I'll kick them out faster than you can say 'McGonagall has a fur ball'."

Vala snorted at his reference. "As long as the _Headmistress_ doesn't hear you saying that, Mister Potter," she said playfully.

"Please, you know my expertise in subtlety," Harry informed her with mock seriousness, winking.

She laughed sincerely, and Harry suddenly felt himself unable to turn away from her silver eyes.

"I love it when you laugh," Harry told her quietly.

She blushed, and he took a step closer to her. He reached a hand out to touch her cheek, but before he could, he was interrupted by someone calling his name loudly. Almost instantly the connection was broken and Vala quickly stepped a few arms-lengths away. Harry turned around to see a grinning Ronald Weasley approaching with his hand clasped on Hermione Granger's own hand. Harry smiled at his friends.

"Hey mate," Ron said, smacking him on the back lightly.

"Hi Harry," Hermione said, beaming.

"Hey guys," he greeted, grinning at their still intertwined hands.

Hermione suddenly blushed and pulled her hand out of Ron's grasp at Harry's attentions. She quickly moved around Harry to smile at Vala. Harry also turned around only to see Vala fall to her knees in a bowing position.

"Vala," Harry said quickly, "you don't need to-"

She looked up and met his eyes. He stiffened, recognizing the look on her face. She _did_.

"I order you to not bow down to any person unless you choose to do so," Harry said firmly, and immediately helped her up afterwards.

Ron and Hermione watched the exchange with dismay. Vala saw them staring and paled, stepping back and behind Harry. Harry turned to grab both her wrists gently, his back now to the other two members of the Golden Trio.

"Hey, don't worry," he whispered. When she didn't look up, he gently tipped her chin up with his left hand. "They are not anything like Bellatrix's friends. I promise."

She nodded, and after staring at her for a minute to make sure she understood, he dropped his grip on her chin and turned back to Ron and Hermione. His hold on her wrist, however, did not drop. She flashed him a grateful glance at his reassuring touch, but it was too quick for him to notice.

"Hermione, Ron, this is Vala. Vala, Hermione and Ron."

Hermione smiled at her gently and Ron grinned.

"So you're the girl Harry won't stop talking about in all his letters," Ron said, winking. "I must say, his words did you no justice."

Vala instantly blushed, eyeing him shyly. "Thanks Master Weasley," she said softly.

Ron blinked at that, startled. "There's no need-"

"Vala, I order you to address everyone as you see fit," Harry ordered, quickly fixing the problem. He smirked suddenly and leaned down to whisper loudly in her ear. "In fact, I would recommend you take care to call Ron as many names as you can think of. My personal favorite is Mr. Teaspoon."

He looked at Vala to see if she got the reference. He had explained the incident to her the other night during chess. By the way her lips were upturned and pursed he could tell she was holding back laughter.

"Not cool, Harry!" Ron exclaimed, obviously not oblivious to his friend's loud whispers.

Hermione dissolved into giggles, and Harry also laughed at his friend's incredulous face. Vala gave a small laugh, just as he had hoped, but she instantly stopped, stiffening. She glanced at Harry, who was not ignorant to her reaction.

"Beautiful," he murmured in her ear, to reassure her.

She smiled at him, blushing deeply.

"Shall we go inside Harry?" Hermione suggested, causing him to tear his eyes away from Vala. "I am feeling a bit starved actually."

Harry nodded, and walked beside Ron and Hermione to go inside. Vala tried to follow after them, but Harry prevented her from straying too far behind by grabbing her hand and pulling her alongside him. His best friends noticed, but they said nothing on the subject.

"So, Ron, are you still planning on going into the Auror training facility?" Harry asked.

"Haven't changed my mind since yesterday," Ron answered cheekily.

Harry had exchanged letters with Ron and Hermione daily, due to the constant need to know that the others were safe at every moment of the day. It was an aftereffect of the war, and Harry wasn't sure how many months it would take to get over it. He had told them a lot about Vala, and they had updated him on the post-war efforts they were involved in, as well as the activities of the Death Eaters still at large. Ron was admitted into the Auror Academy and was planning on helping them capture Voldemort's other followers. Hermione, on the other hand, has applied to go into the Department of Mysteries to be an Unspeakable. Harry was still undecided, and had yet to tell them he was going back to Hogwarts with Vala.

"Sorry I'm not going with you, mate," Harry told him with a sheepish smile. "I'm a bit sick of chasing dark wizards. Things have changed a bit I guess."

Ron's gaze flickered to Vala, and smiled knowingly.

"Well what are you going to do then Harry?" Hermione asked, curious.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts, actually."

Ron and Hermione both stopped, staring at him with wide eyes. They both came to their senses a minute later and continued to walk.

"What brought that on?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"McGonagall hinted it to me," Harry said, shrugging. He glanced at Vala, who was smiling at him.

"More like threatened you," Vala muttered to him.

He grinned at her. "Hey, I still haven't decided to forgive you for that."

Vala tensed for a second, but almost instantly after grinned back. "My deepest apologies," she said cheekily.

"So why did you decide to go back then?" Ron asked, puzzled, as they entered the kitchen. "It's not like there is much left to learn."

Harry looked over, startled. He had forgotten that his friends were even there for a moment. Before he could answer, the house elves approached them, bowing and beaming. Harry noticed in the corner of his eye Hermione grabbing something from his pocket. Ron groaned.

"Mione, put away the scarf," the redhead sighed. "You know they don't like it."

Harry smiled exasperatedly at her antics. Vala from beside him watched the exchange curiously, still holding on to the Gryffindor's hand.

"Just get us some sandwiches and butterbeer for lunch please," Harry told one of the elves kindly.

Hermione complained to herself as they seated themselves at a table, and Ron and Harry talked quietly about quidditch while she did. While they ate their lunch, Hermione was still grumbling. It was not until Vala spoke that they all stopped.

"They lose their magic without a master," Vala said softly, staring at Hermione. "And eventually the lack of a bond will result in their death." She paused, looking down at the table bitterly. "We have a lot in common."

Harry squeezed her hand lightly, and she jumped slightly. She turned to face him, her eyes suddenly piercing. "When you treated Dobby the way you did, I knew you were different," she admitted to him.

Harry took that in with surprise.

"Vala?"

The black-haired girl turned to face Hermione, expectant.

"What do you mean, about their magic?" Hermione bit her lip. "I've never heard of it before."

"Their magic is connected to their bonders," Vala explained, in a tone that reminded Harry of McGonagall. "It goes centuries back when part of the elvish culture owed a debt to a group of elite wizards. This group of elves willingly bonded themselves to the wizards, to serve them until they die. By breaking the bond they would be breaking this oath and would lose their magic as a result. The house elves now are all ancestors of this colony of elves."

Hermione took in the words, both surprised and puzzled. "Why haven't I heard of this?"

Vala shrugged. "It's something most purebloods know. I guess it's just overlooked in Hogwarts' studies."

Hermione paused, frowning. Quickly, she launched into a set of questions, and she and Vala fell into a discussion. Harry watched with raised eyebrows while she answered them, amazed by Vala's composure. The Lestranges hadn't crushed her spirit completely, that was for sure.

"Harry," Ron said quietly after several minutes, suddenly serious. "We haven't really had much chance to talk about the Malfoy's trial."

Harry tensed, eyeing his best and longest friend with concern. "I'm sorry for not telling you guys, I just-"

"Don't be like that," Ron cut in, shaking his head. "I'm not upset at you. Shocked maybe, but perhaps I shouldn't be. It's just like you to do something like this."

"I owed her my life, Ron," Harry said quietly. "And Draco-"

"Yes, the ferret." Ron scowled. "That bloke is dating my sister, the slimy snake."

"Ron," Hermione said, cutting into the conversation. "He did save your sister from the Carrows."

The two wizards glanced over, startled. They hadn't realized that their conversation had gained another audience.

"I know," Ron answered quietly. "I just-he's _Draco_ _Malfoy_. What made him change?"

"Who said he changed?" Harry asked darkly. At Hermione's reproofing look, he quickly clarified. "Draco has probably been playing a part for years, just like his parents. His true self was probably never shown until now."

It went quiet, and he noticed that Vala was shaking beside him, probably because she was thinking about the Malfoys. He slowly pulled his hand out of her own, and instead he wrapped an arm around her delicate waist to comfort her. She instantly froze. Harry knew it was a bold move, but she relaxed after a few moments as he had hoped. He inwardly sighed in relief.

"Lucius was really abused," Hermione said hollowly. "I still can't believe it."

Harry's eyes flashed up to meet hers, grim. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to hide behind the world's expectations."

Vala leaned into him, knowing instantly that he was not referring only to Lucius. She surveyed his friends, but they did not seem to know what he was hinting at. Harry avoided her eyes when she glanced his way.

"But surely that can't justify what he's done," Ron said coolly. "He killed, Harry! Raped, tortured!"

Vala flinched visibly at his last words, and Hermione caught the movement. The Gryffindor witch watched the other girl in concern, trying to push away the rising suspicions.

"Abuse twists you, Ron," Harry told him. He took a deep breath, before continuing him in a barely audible voice. "It did to me."

There was silence, and Vala stared at Harry in astonishment. Harry closed his eyes in absolute terror, cursing himself. He had kept that to himself for years… why was he suddenly volunteering it? He wanted – no needed – to run from the room, but Vala suddenly slipped her own arm around him. He stopped at that, his eyes snapping open. He glanced at Vala, who gave him a small smile, and then gazed back at his staggered friends.

"What?" Ron gasped.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, covering her mouth with her hand in horror. "You mean…?"

Harry forced himself to stare at his best friends directly. "I was abused my whole life. And if I hadn't met you guys I could have ended up like Lucius Malfoy. I didn't understand friendship, or love, or even good before I met you."

Tears fell down Hermione's face, and Ron was deathly pale.

"Mate, why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked desperately, shaking.

Harry avoided looking at them, and instead stared at the table. He tried to pull his arm away from Vala, but she held onto him tightly. He glanced down at her, and stared into her eyes. Despite his mounting fear, the encouraging look on Vala's face gave him the courage he needed. He turned back to the couple.

"I thought you would see me as weak," Harry said quietly. "It wasn't that bad… And I was afraid you would see me differently… that you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore."

There was silence again, and Harry waited with baited breath for them to tell him just that. Their expressions convinced him he was correct. They looked angry, disgusted at him, perhaps even betrayed. Harry felt on the edge of hyperventilating and tried to compose himself. He took a shuttering breath in and out slowly, but it did nothing to help his overwhelming feeling of trepidation.

"Harry James Potter," Hermione said heatedly. "Don't you dare think you are weak! You are the strongest person I know. We will _always_ be your best friends." Her anger suddenly dropped, to be replaced by deep sorrow as she gripped his hand on the table. "I can't believe this happened all these years and we didn't notice. I'm so, so sorry Harry."

Harry fought back tears at Hermione's response, amazed by her reaction.

"Yeah, mate, if anything it's our fault," Ron said solemnly. "If you didn't feel like you could talk to us, we were obviously not good enough friends to you." The disgust was overpowering on his features now. "I know I was not a very loyal friend to you over the years, and I am so sorry." He paused, clasping Harry on the shoulder. "I will always be here for you from now on. If you need to talk about it…"

Harry glanced at Vala. "Don't worry, I already did," he murmured. "I think that's why I could finally tell you. Vala has helped me through part of it."

Vala smiled softly at him.

Harry explained some of the smaller details to Ron, Vala, and Hermione about the abuse, and as he did he felt lighter. Even Vala was starting to speak more freely to offer him assurances along with his best friends.

After Harry was done talking, they sat in contemplative silence for a few moments. Finally, Harry spoke up with a sudden smug smile, knowing he needed a good laugh.

"Hey Ron, I have a challenge for you..."

* * *

"It was beginner's luck."

Harry snorted, handing his friend a glass of alcohol. "She beat you fair and square, mate."

Ron scowled as he accepted the glass, but he sighed after taking a long drink. "Okay, maybe she did," he admitted. "But she's good. Like unnaturally so." He paused, before continuing fiercely to protect his damaged pride. "But I'll want a rematch. Next time, I'll win for sure."

"Oh, that can be rearranged," Harry said with a smirk. "I'm sure McGonagall will want to see you two at it anyways."

Ron shook his head, before glancing in the living room where Vala and Hermione were reading and conversing lightly. "I don't think I've ever met anyone who is as interested in learning as Hermione," he commented. "Vala is something else, Harry."

"I know," Harry murmured, drinking from his own glass.

"She seemed pretty relaxed when she was with you."

Harry shook his head at Ron's words. "I don't know. Sometimes she is, but sometimes she's not. And she's so scared to open up to me…"

"Time is all you need, mate," the redhead told him. "I can already tell you two share something. You have like… this connection…"

"I know," Harry said thoughtfully. "I feel as if she understands me more than anyone else."

"She probably does." Ron bit his lip, sighing. "I mean, mate, you told her about the Dursleys and never told us. And you've known her for what, a few weeks?" At Harry's guilty look, he quickly waved his hand in dismissal. "Don't worry bout it, Harry. Just know that we are here for you now."

Harry grinned at his friend. "You have gotten quite sensitive, you know. Is it Hermione rubbing off on you?" he teased.

Ron rubbed his neck, laughing quietly. "Yeah, I guess she is."

Harry smiled, happy for his best friend.

"Are you any closer to freeing her?"

Harry sighed, running a hand down his face. "No," he said quietly.

Ron stayed silent for a few moments, before speaking just as quietly. "You will."

Harry turned to him, his eyes blazing. "Yes, I will," he agreed resolutely.

* * *

Harry did not have very fond memories of the Ministry, and he knew this was going to be another one of those times. He shuffled through his notes anxiously, although he already knew them inside and out. He stared down at Vala, Ron, and Hermione on the outside of the crowd of reporters and felt a little more reassured. He stepped to the podium, and cleared his throat quietly. As agreed, the reporters stayed silent. They were only allowed to ask questions afterwards.

"A-A few weeks ago," Harry started shakily, "we faced Lord Voldemort and his followers at Hogwarts. I would like to-to thank all those who fought in this war to regain peace, especially those who sacrificed and lost their lives." At this, he thought of Remus, Tonks, Fred, and many of the others he cared about who had died that day. He paused, before continuing with more fervor and confidence. "It is these brave witches and wizards that won the war. As I mentioned in my battle against Voldemort, it is my mother's love which protected me. It is through her and all those who died for this cause that I am still standing here today. I deserve no credit for our victory, nor do I want it. It is for this reason that I request you treat me as such." Harry smiled crookedly, amused at the reporter's disbelieving stares. He didn't believe his request would be respected either. Nonetheless, he continued his speech.

"It is fitting that Hogwarts was where he -Voldemort - met his end. The start of his horrible campaign began in the halls of that great institution. Contention and harsh judgments led Voldemort down a path of evil. That is why I insist that Hogwarts forgoes the house rivalries and instead focuses on providing a better education in this period of peace.

I, like us all, seek healing and harmony in the time after this hard war. This is why I will be active in rebuilding the system and starting an era of balance and equality. Together, we will shape the Wizarding World into a place of acceptance and strength. Thank you."

The reporters immediately started firing off questions, and Harry pointed to the one closest to him.

"Lord Hallow, Jonathan Brown from the Daily Prophet. Is You-Know-Who gone forever? And what message do you leave to his followers?"

Harry raised his head high. "Yes, Voldemort – that is his real name, we should not be afraid to use it – is gone forever. I am certain of it. And to his followers, I suggest you all turn yourselves in now. We _will_ find you, and when we do you _will_ receive the death penalty. If you surrender now you may make it out with your life."

"Like Lucius Malfoy you mean?" Brown asked loudly. "You helped him at his trial. Will you expound on that?"

Harry heaved a deep breath. This is one of the questions he only prayed would go over okay. "I did not go into the trial thinking I would defend Mr. Malfoy. In fact, I believed he deserved to be punished for his deeds. It was not until truths became known in the trial that I knew there must be a period of reevaluation. The Wizengamot agreed. As for Draco and Mrs. Malfoy, they had no reason to be charged."

Harry sighed in relief as they nodded and left it at that.

Brown fired off a few more follow-up questions, and then another reporter started asking him on how he was going to help reform the government. Harry supplied answers to the best of his ability, and felt fairly confident in his answers. It was not until Rita Skeeter spoke up that he felt nervous.

"Harry dear, I would love-"

"Lord Hallow," he corrected coolly.

She gave him a fake smile. "Of course. Now, who was the lovely girl that was seen coming out with you at the Malfoy trial? She must be your girlfriend, correct?" She waited, looking extremely excited.

Harry stiffened, and flashed a look at Vala. She was not watching him, but instead was staring piercingly at Rita Skeeter. The young lord felt flustered as he turned back to the vicious reporter, who was now supporting a crocodile grin.

"It's okay to admit it, dearie. What, with both your exes, Hermione Granger and Ginerva Weasley, with boyfriends, I'm sure you quickly found a girl yourself. What's her name? Did you meet after the final battle by chance?"

At the last question, Harry suddenly had a sinking feeling that Rita knew more than she was letting on. He hoped it was just his paranoia at work.

"I do not wish to disclose personal information on my relationships," Harry answered as politely as he could manage. He gave the crowd the best smile he could muster up at the moment. "That's all, thank you for your time."

Despite their protests, Harry quickly left the podium and exited into the nearby private room. Ron and Hermione offered him a smile and some feedback, while Vala remained quietly beside him. After he talked to his best friends for some time, he took a portkey with Vala and they traveled back to their rooms. Harry laughed at both their positions on the ground.

"Guess we are both need to work on that," he said.

He got up and offered her a hand, and she took it carefully. He waited, and she stared back at him in bemusement. After a few minutes of him staring with raised eyebrows, she sighed.

"What?"

"Well? Are you going to tell me how amazing I did?"

Vala fought back a smile at that. "It was adequate," she said off-handedly, sinking into the couch.

"Adequate?" Harry scoffed. "Please. I did much better than adequate."

She laughed softly at him. "Yes, I guess you did."

He smiled in content, leaning back into the couch next to her. He stretched, and his arm came around her shoulders casually. She raised her eyebrows at his movement, but did not comment. After a few more moments, she suddenly leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He touched his cheek instantly, staring at her in astonishment. She got to her feet, surprisingly not blushing.

"Thanks for not saying anything about me, Harry."

"Of course," Harry answered quietly, smiling gently at her.

"Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight Vala."

As he lay in bed that night, all he could think of was Vala. And he couldn't help but wonder what her lips would feel like on his own.

* * *

Harry eyed Vala the next morning as they ate breakfast, fascinated as she dumped sugar after sugar into her tea.

"You know, any more and you will have to chew it as well," Harry teased.

Vala only raised her eyebrows at him. "Well mine makes me extra sweet. I wonder what that reflects on you."

Harry bit back a laugh. He took his tea with barely any sugar, and just a little cream. "Touché," he said, grinning.

They went back to eating their breakfast quietly, but he noticed Vala pointedly look at him as she added another much unneeded spoonful of sugar into her tea before stirring it. He chuckled to himself.

"I like them," Vala suddenly said.

"Who?" Harry asked, confused.

"Your friends," Vala explained, staring down at her tea.

Harry smiled slightly at that, relieved. "You know Vala, they are your friends too."

She smiled shyly, looking up from behind her dark hair. "I'd like that."

Harry got up when he heard a tapping at the window, and opened it to let in the brown owl. It offered him the newspaper, and he took it after paying the bird. After the owl flew away, he shut the window and walked back to sit across from Vala. The young lord opened the newspaper aimlessly, watching Vala out of the corner of his eye. She glanced up, meeting his eyes, and they both blushed slightly. Harry quickly concentrated on the newspaper, trying to ignore his beating heart.

What he saw made his heart only race more.

Vala heard his gasp of shock and instantly came beside him, her tea cradled in her hand. She stared down at the paper and choked, utter terror controlling her emotions. Her tea slipped from her frozen hands and shattered on the floor. Neither of them made a move to clean it up.

A scene of destruction greeted them, with the headlines _Is You-Know-Who Really Gone?_ glaring back at them. Harry stared at the slithering Dark Mark in the sky of the photo, fingering his undisturbed scar.

"I know he is not back," Harry whispered. "I know it."

But then he realized he would no longer know such a thing. The horocrux was gone, and so was the connection with Voldemort. He let out a gasp of horror. He stood up to face Vala, but she remained unresponsive, staring vacantly at the paper.

"Vala, Vala," Harry said, shaking her by her arm. "Vala!"

She finally looked up, meeting his eyes. He felt a cold shiver go through him at her haunted, terrified expression.

"It is probably just some Death Eaters," Harry told her, trying to reassure them both. "He's dead, I killed him. He's dead."

Harry pulled Vala into an embrace when she continued to shake beside him. With his arms around her, Vala still stared at the newspaper left open on the table.

It wasn't Voldemort, but she knew who it was.

He was worse.

* * *

**Perhaps that was a cliffhanger? I can't tell. Maybe half of one... ;)**

**Well... I wanted to have more Vala/other people interaction as one wonderful reviewer requested. :) I had wanted to put it in before, but I thought it went over pretty well in this chapter. Vala is pretty good at being normal, but she wasn't always a slave after all. You can see her going back and forth between slave and normal girl throughout this chapter. Anyways, next chapter will have some action and will be pretty important. In fact, you might even finally learn who Vala is so worried about! Hehehe, Mwahahahaha. If I'm feeling kind that is ;)**

**Hopefully I'll update before the next month. By June, updates will be much faster, that can be assured. Gotta love summer! :)**

**Anyways, please review, I love all the feedback. You are all so awesome, thank you for supporting me! Happy reading :)**


	10. Releasing

**Why hello hello! Thank you for your wonderful support, you guys have been AMAZING! Here's another chapter, hope you enjoy :) For those of you who wanted to know more about Vala's past... well here you are :) And of course Harry/Vala moments :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter in this chapter or any of my other chapter. My plot though :)**

**Warnings: Abuse references**

* * *

"Unity."

The gargoyle moved aside, allowing Harry entrance to the Headmistress' office. He knocked lightly on the door, but there was no reply. Curious, Harry pushed open the door and walked into the office.

It was different compared to how Dumbledore had organized his office. It was more orderly, and the many trinkets were replaced by rows and rows of books. Harry did, however, notice the sorting hat in its usual place, and of course the former headmasters/headmistresses were lined along the wall.

Harry was about to leave the office to look elsewhere for Professor McGonagall, but a pair of blue eyes caught his attention. Harry approached the painting of Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry, my boy," Albus said, his eyes twinkling. "How are you?"

"Fine," Harry replied, now unable to fight the rising suspicions he had had throughout the past weeks. "I've been busy."

"Yes, yes, I've heard," Albus said cheerfully. "I'm very proud of what you've done, Harry."

Harry smiled slightly at his old mentor, but the smile dropped quickly. "You never stopped protecting me, did you?"

Albus looked a bit puzzled.

"I went to get my inheritance recently," Harry explained curtly.

The twinkle in the former Headmaster's eyes dwindled. "Ah."

"You kept it from me from years," Harry said quietly. "Why?"

"Harry, you had so much stress. I didn't think it was an opportune time-"

"I had a right to decide for myself," Harry yelled at him. "You treated me like a child. How could you think I was ready to face Voldemort and save the Wizarding World but not prepared to receive my heritage?"

Albus had the decency to look abashed. "I only wanted to do what I thought was right. You weren't accustomed to the Wizarding World; I didn't want to place the added responsibility of holding seats in the Wizengamot too early. And when Voldemort returned at the end of your fourth year, I must admit it become less important."

Harry stared at him, shaking his head in disbelief. "You were always doing things for the greater good, sir. I had just hoped that for once you'd do something for me."

His eyes widened, and he shook his head in disagreement. "That's not true, my boy. I cared for you, I wanted to protect you-"

"You raised me up like a sheep for slaughter," Harry hissed, echoing Snape's words viciously. "Even Professor Snape realized the wrong in that, and he hated me."

"My boy-"

"You have no right to call me that," Harry spat. "I bet it was you who blocked my magic even, so I'd be a good, obedient soldier. You can't have your martyr too strong after all."

At this, Albus did look shocked. Harry deflated slightly, knowing he at least sincerely did not know that.

"My magic has been blocked for years," Harry said quietly. "The goblins realized it and the High Lord released the block."

The former Headmaster's face became thoughtful. "Perhaps when the Dark Lord sent the curse on you… it could have led to an overload of magic… your magic might have clotted from the aftermath."

Harry blinked. "You mean… it might have been from Voldemort?"

Albus nodded. "That would be my guess."

Harry stared at him for a long time. "I think he's back. Voldemort, that is."

He shook his head. "That is not possible. I told Minerva that earlier."

Harry relaxed slightly. Despite the man's manipulations, he still trusted his judgment in some things. "So you think it was just the Death Eaters lashing out?"

"Most likely. Now didn't you come here to find Minerva?"

As Harry left the office, he couldn't help but think the former Headmaster was hiding something, like usual. His face when Harry mentioned the raid was more serious than the Gryffindor imagined it would be concerning a Death Eater attack.

There was something more going on here… Harry could feel it.

* * *

Vala walked down the aisles of the library. It was nice to have peace. She was exhausted from pretending everything was okay. With Harry searching out the Headmistress, she had a few hours to herself. She ran a hand down a few of the books, but stopped abruptly when she recognized one of them. She closed her eyes in horror, and the flashback came instantly.

"_Grandfather?"_

_He smiled down at the black-haired girl slightly. "Yes Vala?"_

"_Why does everyone say you were bad?"_

_He kneeled down by the six-year-old girl and raised his eyebrows. "And who told you that?"_

_She showed him the book in her hand, and he sighed. "You can't believe everything books tell you, Princess. Books lie just as easily as people."_

"_Like my Daddy you mean?" she asked innocently, her eyes wide._

_His face hardened and he straightened. "Yes, like your father. He was a traitor and murderer. He killed your beautiful mother after all." He touched her cheek lightly. "You look so much like her."_

_Vala leaned into his touch, fighting back the wave of sadness. "I love you Grandpa. I wish _you_ were my Daddy."_

Vala gasped and ripped her hand away from the book. She slid down to the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to calm herself.

He is dead, she tried to convince herself. He is dead.

Before she could fight it, another memory surfaced.

"_Checkmate."_

"_Grandfather!"_

_He smirked at her. "You almost got one of my pieces this time."_

"_You don't play fair!"_

_He leaned in seriously. "Life's not fair. You need to learn not to act as a child, Vala. There is no time for such things."_

"_But I'm only seven, and you're like ancient! It's not fa-"_

"_Don't finish that sentence," he hissed at her, gripping her arm tightly. "I told you, life is not fair. You must adapt or die."_

_She flinched, feeling fear for the first time around her grandfather. His icy blue eyes cut into her like a cold winter night._

"_We start training tomorrow, Vala. You will be a survivor."_

Vala bitterly replayed that sentence over and over in her mind. That's all she ever did – survive. He had ripped her innocence away before she was even twelve. She remembered the first time she used the unforgivables very clearly.

"_You have to mean it," he hissed in her ear. "Unless you're too weak to do it, that is."_

"_I'm not weak," she growled at him._

"_Perhaps you are too much like your father…"_

_She glared at him, livid. "I am not my father."_

"_Prove it," he commanded, sneering._

_She turned her wand to the house elf, who was quivering at their feet. _

"_Crucio!_ "

_She felt strangely detached as she watched the elf wither on the floor. She was too busy focusing on the rush of power in her veins, and she grinned. When she finally ended the spell, her grandfather was grinning at her._

"_Beautiful, my dear." He wrapped an arm around her. "Now the killing curse…."_

She shivered, fighting back the other flashback. She didn't want to remember. She couldn't. It would-

"Vala?"

Harry Potter walked to where she sat, curled up protectively. He kneeled next to her, and took in her shaking and pale face.

"Flashbacks?" he asked quietly.

She nodded slowly, unable to meet his eyes. Vala gasped in surprise when his warm hands touched her face. He lifted her chin, and she stared into his emerald orbs.

"I'm here if you ever need to talk," he told her quietly.

She smiled as convincingly as she could at him.

He gently helped her up, and she found herself leaning on him. Her limbs felt weak and she couldn't stop trembling.

"Vala, you know how you mentioned you love flying?"

She nodded, curious at why he was asking.

He grabbed her hand, wrapping his fingers around hers. She surprised herself by relaxing in his hold. He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Well you happen to be in the presence of the youngest seeker of the century. Think you can keep up?"

She laughed, instantly feeling better. _He_ was still in the back of her mind, but Harry was dominating the front.

"Bring it on," she teased.

* * *

Harry grinned at the girl beside him. She was a pretty good flyer after all. He noticed at first she was a little shaky, but after a few minutes she appeared carefree. Harry was glad it worked. Whenever he had a lot on his mind, flying always set his worries free.

He slung an arm around her shoulders casually, and she raised her eyebrows at him. He grinned.

"Not bad, rookie," he told her lightly.

She stepped out of his grasp, and put her hands on her hips. "Rookie?"

Harry winked at her. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

"I am so relieved," Vala told him.

He was happy to see her smile, but as they walked back towards the castle he noticed that she was gradually getting tenser. He knew it probably had something to do with the slavery spell. He stopped, turning to face her. She stared at him in confusion.

"Vala?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still feel like a slave?"

She stiffened almost immediately, and he cursed himself for asking. She gazed in silence out at the quidditch pitch behind them for a few minutes.

"It's always with me, in the back of my mind," she said quietly, breaking the tense silence.

Harry sighed, and looked at the ground. He tried to think of a way to comfort her, but he couldn't formulate the words. She surprised him by speaking again.

"Do _you_ still feel like a slave?"

Harry flinched at her words, startled. "What?"

She hesitated, and Harry knew she was trying to decide if she was brave enough to continue. She took a deep breath, apparently finding the courage. "You hate it when I call you Master."

Harry turned away from her, tense. "We should get back."

"Harry…"

He stood motionlessly, and flinched when he felt a hand touch his arm. He stepped back from her touch, avoiding her eyes, and feeling ashamed of his reaction.

Harry didn't wait for her to speak again, but instead ran to the castle. He didn't look behind, but he knew she wasn't following him. He also knew she was probably hurt and upset, but he couldn't face her.

He was so weak. There had been no spell that forced him to obey or punished him. He, a Gryffindor, had bowed down to a mere muggle out of his own free will. He almost wished he actually had been a slave.

He stopped abruptly, feeling horrified by the path his thoughts had taken. How could he be so ungrateful? He had seen what the spell had done to Vala…

He entered their chambers and collapsed promptly beside his bed on the floor. He sat there, suddenly feeling the urge to cry. He quickly pushed away the thought, disgusted with himself. Crying was a weakness… he could not afford any more weakness.

The last time he cried had been when he visited his parent's graves, and that had been the first real time in years. It was funny how when he was younger, his uncle would punish him for crying. But during the last few years, his uncle had been pissed because he would take the pain in utter silence.

At the start of each summer, he would refuse to call that man Master. The defiance never lasted long if he wanted to survive. And years of abuse had pounded the word into his skull. He would forever fight his slave instincts, and the word "master" would always make him think of his uncle.

He thought of the summer after fourth year, when he had felt so alone. He thought no one cared, that he was going to die. He closed his eyes, not even attempting to block the flashback.

_Harry was pressed against a wall, a knife to his back as his uncle cut deliberately into his back. The word "Killer" was sliced deep into his mid back, causing Harry to wince._

"_You killed your freaky parents," his uncle murmured in sick amusement, "and your freaky friend. Killer," he hissed in his ear. _

_He slammed the boy against the wall, before turned him around. His pale face was motionless as his uncle handed him the bloody knife. _

_Harry hesitated for only a second, before pressing the blade to his arm and cutting quickly. His eyes displayed disgust for only a second, but he quickly hid it when his uncle stared at him. He stopped for an instant, and his uncle punched him in the stomach._

"_Did I tell you to stop, boy?" the huge man growled, smirking at the boy's pain._

"_No, sir," he intoned dully, before quickly continuing._

"_Imagine what your freaky friends will think when they see your arm," his uncle sneered, looked extremely amused. "Their precious savior is cutting himself." His uncle grinned, before taking out a package of salt. Uncle Vernon ripped it open over the teenager's wounds, and, gasping in pain, he fell to his knees. _

"_You deserve this, boy," his uncle hissed, gripping him roughly by the arm, causing him to wince. "Never forget that!"_

"_Yes, sir," Harry intoned, his head bowed._

_His uncle slammed him against the wall. "Do you want more lashes, freak?" he barked out. "Use my proper title, slave!"_

_The injured teenager visibly shuddered and paused, before slumping in resignation. "Yes, ma-master," he whispered._

"My lord?"

Harry stared at her, but couldn't find the strength to correct her. He looked away, not wanting to face her. She should be ashamed to be seen with him. He was pathetic, weak, a coward…

"Harry?" she murmured, kneeling next to him.

"Vala," he murmured. "I-I…" He gripped her tightly by her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. "Don't you dare ever think of yourself as a slave. You didn't choose it. You are brave, and strong, and good. Don't even doubt that for a second."

There was a long pause, and Harry held his breath, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes hardened, and he tried to move away. Instantly she grabbed him by his biceps. "You didn't choose it either," she told him fervently. When he went to protest, she cut him off. "Harry, I don't know exactly what he did to you, but it will never happen again. You are free of him."

Harry shook his head. "I don't feel free. I feel like he will always have a claim on me. I feel like I'm pretending to be someone I'm not. I will always be some stupid, weak freak that nobody cares about!"

"I care," Vala whispered.

Harry froze, stunned by her words.

"You are the kindest, bravest, most wonderful person I have ever met," she told him softly. "You have never abused the power you have over me, even when I keep things from you. No one has ever done that before."

Harry suddenly realized how close they were. She was only inches away from him. Her grey eyes stared at him piercingly, and a strand of her black hair was falling over her face. Her lips…

Harry leaned in before he realized what he was doing, and Vala did the same. Their lips brushed for a split second, before Vala suddenly pushed away from him violently. She got to her feet, her eyes wide.

She turned to run, and Harry got to his feet quickly. Before he could stop himself, he yelled, "Vala, stop!"

She didn't listen, but her body didn't get very far. She fell to the ground, crying out, and it took a few seconds before Harry realized what he had done. Instantly he wrapped his arms around her, hating himself more than he ever had in his life.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he gasped.

At her anguished cries, tears slipped down his face. When she finally relaxed, the bond done punishing her, he was still crying. She remained in his arms, silently comforting him as he sobbed, when he really knew it should be the other way around.

He didn't know why he was crying or why he couldn't stop. But Vala remained beside him, and he continued to choke out apologies. She only murmured reassurances, and held onto him tightly, but it was everything he needed.

_She_ was everything he needed.

* * *

"I'm fine, Harry."

"Vala-"

"It was my fault-"

"_I_ was the reason the spell reacted."

Vala put down the book she had been reading, sighing. "Harry, you didn't mean for it to happen."

"Does that make it any better?" he snapped.

She reached across the table and lightly placed her hand on his arm. "Yes."

"You should be angry at-"

"If I wasn't mad at you last night, why would I be now?" she asked rhetorically.

"I shouldn't have kissed you," Harry said quietly. "I'm no better than Lestrange."

At this, Vala looked mutinous. "_What_?"

"I kissed you, and when you ran… The spell made you stop. I was forcing you-"

She suddenly leaned across the table and touched his lips with her own. When she pulled away, he was staring at her in astonishment.

"If you were Master Lestrange I would not have done that," she said simply.

While she continued to read, Harry stared at her in shock for a good hour. Vala fought back the smile that was threatening to reveal her amusement. Finally, she couldn't help herself and collapsed into giggles.

"You kissed me," he said slowly, watching her as she tried to control her hysterical laughing.

"Really? I didn't notice."

He ignored her teasing, suddenly serious. "I hurt you yesterday. I am the reason you're a slave. Why would you-"

"You saved my life," she interrupted. "You didn't have to, but you did. And you have done everything to minimize the spell's influence. None of what you just said was true."

"But I-"

"Do you always complain this much when someone kisses you?"

He paused, smiling slightly. "No. But… you're different Vala. I don't want to push you into anything. "

She smiled slightly. "I know."

Vala turned back to read the book, and smiled behind it when she noticed Harry staring at her still. This time, he was smiling as well.

* * *

The soup sprayed across the table from the red head's mouth. "She did what?" he gasped.

"She kissed me."

"Wow."

"I know."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I don't get it," Harry said. "One minute she's running, the next she is just randomly kissing me."

"That's mental, mate."

"What should I do? How am I supposed to act?"

They stared at each other for a few minutes, before both saying: "Mione."

* * *

"Does Harry often go into shock?" Vala asked her companion quietly over the thick book.

Hermione shrugged, not looking away from her own novel. "Depends. Why?"

"No reason."

The pages continued to turn for several more minutes before Vala spoke up again.

"Harry and Ginny Weasley were pretty serious, right?"

"It only lasted a few months, but I thought they were. It was coming on for awhile. But after the war, things just didn't work out."

"Oh." Vala had a sudden thought, and froze. "Is it because of me?"

Hermione looked up from her book. "No, of course not. Ginny and Draco started dating before that, and honestly I think Harry and Ginny wouldn't have lasted."

They both turned back to their books, but Vala couldn't concentrate. She bit her lip, watching Hermione.

"Have you ever kissed him?"

At this, Hermione put her book down, her eyes raised. "No," she said plainly. "Now are you going to tell me what happened, or are we going to continue the question game?"

Vala hesitated, unsure she should trust her. But, then again, there was something about Hermione that made her want to tell her. "Harry kissed me." At Hermione's surprised expression, she hurriedly continued. "And then I ran, but the spell punished me…. and he felt awful. And then I kissed him the next day, trying to show him that… that he didn't do anything wrong."

Hermione was silent for a few minutes, but then smiled widely. "So you like him?"

"…Maybe."

"And he likes you?"

"I don't think so."

"He does."

"He does?"

Hermione turned back to her book, practically beaming. "When you've known someone for seven plus years, you recognize when he acts different. And he has been a completely different person with you."

Vala smiled, feeling a thrill run through her body.

They went back to reading in companionable silence, but Vala spent the time thinking of Harry and not the twelve uses of dragon blood.

* * *

"Hermione, please."

"I really don't know if I should say-"

"Hermione!"

"Harry," she sighed. "I don't want to say anything she doesn't want you to know."

"So she _did_ talk about me."

"You are insufferable," she cried, hitting his arm with her book.

"Mione, I really like her," he said. "I don't know what to do. She probably hates me…"

"Harry, you are completely oblivious."

He gave her a confused look.

"Just do something romantic… take her out. Ask her how she feels."

"But what if-"

"Harry, did you want my help or not?"

The black-haired wizard sighed. "Yes."

"Good." She smiled at him.

"Ron's treating you well, right?" Harry asked suddenly, glancing at his best friend that was in the other room with Vala playing chess.

She instantly softened. "Of course," she said softly.

"He better be," Harry said, grinning.

His almost-sister grinned back. "I've got him trained, don't you worry."

"How could I? I saw you after the Lavender incident after all."

She smacked him again, and he rubbed his arm.

"Crazy witch," he muttered.

* * *

Vala smiled from beside him.

"Is there a reason you felt like going to Hogsmeade today?" she asked.

"I thought it would be nice to get out of the castle," he said, grinning.

"I've never been here before," she replied, looking around curiously. "It's nice."

"Are you thirsty?"

At her nod, he led her into The Three Broomsticks. She walked over to sit in one of the booths, but he grabbed her hand to stop her.

"This way," he said, smiling mysteriously.

She followed him curiously as they went through the backdoor, passing Madam Rosmerta on the way. Harry waved at her and grinned, and she winked back at him. Vala watched the exchange, feeling a bit out of the loop.

He led her into a small garden, with a single table surrounded by vines and flowers. The table had a fancy dinner prepared on it with candles in the center. She gasped at the romantic setting, and he pulled out her chair with a grin. She sat down, her eyes wide. He pulled his chair closer to hers and also sat down.

"Harry?" she questioned, shocked.

He poured her a glass of butterbeer and offered it to her. She took it with shaking hands.

"Harry?" she repeated.

He only smiled at her and motioned towards the food. They ate quietly, occasionally making comments here and there. Vala wondered what was going on, while Harry just kept on staring at her and smiling.

Vala pushed her plate away, feeling full. She glanced at Harry, who mimicked her actions. He suddenly grabbed her hands, rubbing his fingers over them lightly. She blushed.

"Vala, I know you probably don't feel the same… I just couldn't wait any longer. I needed you to know-"

Screams interrupted him, and they both jumped. Harry instantly got to his feet, his wand in hand. Vala copied his movements, and they both ran through the establishment and back into the street.

Spells were flying everywhere, and men and women dressed in deep red were everywhere. Harry quickly began to fire spells at the attackers, and Vala also began to instinctively attack them. She and Harry worked as a unit, and drove many of the attackers back. Vala blocked one particularly nasty curse from hitting Harry's blind side, and he grinned at her.

It wasn't until an attacker's head dressing slipped that Vala froze with terror. She recognized the burn mark and vicious grin straight away.

"Hello Vala."

She stepped back and glanced at Harry. He was busy fighting off a particularly vicious opponent and hadn't noticed yet.

"Marec," she whispered.

"Your grandfather sends his regards," he said smoothly, smirking. His eyes flickered to Harry. "Interesting company you keep."

Her wand shook as she pointed it at the man. He laughed.

"Vala!"

She heard Harry yell her name, but before she could react she was slammed in the back by a spell. She slipped to the hard ground, and Marec's cruel face was the last thing she saw before oblivion.

* * *

**Well... two kisses in one chapter! And much more to come ;) Hehe. I hope it makes up for the fact that I haven't revealed who "he" is yet :) Although some of you are actually making very good guesses :) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. I must admit, I love Vala in this chapter. And it was Harry's turn to break down in this chapter... next chapter, there will be some Vala drama for sure! But I felt she needed a lighter chapter. Too bad it won't last long... Poor Vala :(**

**Also, remember Vala suffered from the spell because it was a direct order. If Harry had asked her to stay, she could have still left. But he unintentionally ordered her to stay. **

**Anyways please review and let me know what you think! Happy reading :D**


	11. Lying

**Hello all! Here's another chapter, hope you enjoy! Sorry for a little of a wait, but I'm writing another story as well. **

**Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter, belongs to J.K.R. I do own plot and Vala.**

* * *

Harry watched Vala fall to the ground after being hit from behind, and a swell of anger come over him. He blasted a curse at his female opponent, who flew against a nearby wall at the power of his spell. The Gryffindor quickly spun around, and faced the two men who had attacked Vala. They were both standing over her with smug grins.

Something seemed to snap in Harry right then. Later on, he wouldn't be able to explain it. But at that moment, there was a power within him that he didn't recognize. With one strike, the man on the left crumpled to the ground. The other man faced Harry with a grin on his scarred face.

"Pretty little slave you have here," the man simpered. "I'm sure she begs and pleads for more like the good little whore she is."

Anger surged through Harry's veins. He had no idea how this man knew Vala was a slave, but at the moment he had no desire to question him.

"_Avada Kedavra_," Harry hissed, firing the killing curse for the first time in his life.

The scarred man instantly transfigured a wall that blocked the green spell. He smirked at Harry as he vanished the wall. Harry glanced at the unconscious Vala, who was still a little closer to his opponent than himself.

"The Light Poster Boy using an unforgivable? Tsk tsk, what would the Aurors say?" The man glanced behind him at the Aurors who were just entering the scene. He grinned at Harry viciously. "Oh, I forgot, Harry Potter can get anyone out of a trial."

Harry sent a succession of stunners at the man, mixed with a few curses, but he managed to dodge all but one cutting curse. The marred man clutched his side, throwing Harry a harsh glare.

"Who are you?" Harry yelled.

The man gave him a sinister smile, removing his hand from his side so that the blood dripped freely. "I'm not a Death Eater, I can tell you that much," he leered.

Harry froze at those words. The scarred man glanced around him at the surrounding Aurors and, before Harry could react, yelled for his companions to retreat. Harry quickly fired a stunner at the man, but he twisted away, breathing heavily. He stared at Vala suggestively before giving the Boy-Who-Lived one last grin. He grabbed the arm of his knocked out companion and disapparated. The other attackers clad in red followed his lead, and they made sure not to leave any of their injured behind.

Harry quickly went to Vala's side, and examined her anxiously. She seemed fine, and the stunner that hit her seemed to do no real damage. Harry was relieved she was hit by a stunner and not a more deadly curse. In fact… Harry had only seen dark curses sent around. This was deliberate, not accidental. These men knew Vala, but Harry was uncertain to how and to what extent.

"Lord Hallow!"

Harry turned slightly to see Auror John Dawlish. The man eyed Harry seriously.

"Should have known you'd be here," Dawlish said cynically. He observed Vala in concern, his hard expression softening slightly. "She alright?"

"Yeah, just a stunner," Harry told him.

The man nodded. "Did you recognize any of the attackers? Death Eaters I assume."

Harry hesitated, but then shook his head. "No, I didn't see anyone's face," he lied. "But I am sure that it's the usual crowd. Those who got away after the battle."

Dawlish nodded in agreement. "Well I'll want your statement later, but for now we have to see to the injured. Good day, Lord Hallow."

Harry watched the man leave with a feeling of foreboding. He hated lying to an Auror, but he wasn't sure what to make of all that happened. He glanced at Vala and gently lifted her into his arms.

She had been hiding so much from him, and her reaction to the paper had been so violent…. Perhaps she knew exactly what was going on. But then why was she so afraid to tell him?

Harry walked back to the castle, replaying the incident over and over. Harry knew that that wasn't the last time he would see that man, with the huge scars covering his face and that voracious grin. No, it was only the beginning.

Harry pressed a hand to his unaffected scar for a second. All was not well. Part of him wished it was flaring in pain, because he had a sinking feeling that these blood-red assailants were much worse. They were precise, organized, and worked as a unit. Compared to the Death Eaters, who were more numbers than quality, this was a much more serious problem.

That is, if they really aren't Death Eaters. Harry still hoped they had just taken on a new look and strategy… but as he stared at the girl in his arms, he was afraid his suspicions were true.

* * *

Vala had been unconscious for a few hours now, and Harry sat beside her mulling everything over. He had considered using the counter spell to wake her up, but he figured she needed a few hours of rest. And he really needed to think about the situation.

Earlier he had immediately jumped to the conclusion that these men were not Death Eaters, especially with their reaction to Vala. But now, with all the adrenaline drained from his body, he has some misgivings.

Bellatrix probably loved showing off her slave for her own sick amusement, and after seeing Lucius' memory Harry knew Rodolphus was the same. These men could easily be Death Eaters who knew Vala because of their interactions with the Lestranges.

Sure, he didn't recognize the man with all the scars, but he didn't know all of Voldemort's followers. In fact, the majority of them Harry had never seen without their masks on.

And as for the new outfits… the Death Eater robes are a bit obvious. And perhaps they just wanted a change?

Yes, the more Harry thought about it the more certain he was. This was obviously a Death Eater attack. There was no other plausible explanation.

Vala stirred, and Harry turned his attention on her. She sat up slowly on her bed, clutching her head. She blinked in confusion at Harry, but then she tensed. She tried to get up quickly, her face alert, but Harry gently pushed her back down.

"The men-"

"They retreated," Harry informed her lightly.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled.

"The Aurors arrived, and they were outnumbered," Harry replied.

She nodded, but Harry still saw a trace of worry on her face.

"I was knocked out," she suddenly said, rubbing her head. "What happened afterwards?"

"I took out the man who stunned you and then launched in a fight with another man." Harry suddenly leaned in. "How did you know these men, Vala?" he asked. "Did they know the Lestranges?"

She looked at him with a troubled expression. After a brief hesitation, she nodded, her grey eyes lowered.

"The one with the scars," Harry continued quietly, watching Vala carefully, "you knew him?"

She suppressed the shudder, and instead raised her head defiantly. "Yes, I knew him," she said coldly.

"Did… did he ever…"

"Torture me?" Vala smiled humorlessly. "Something like that. But my master could be a bit protective at times."

Harry shot her a confused look. "Rodolphus was protective?"

She smiled darkly, and Harry stiffened. At the moment, she seemed like an entirely different person. "More than you know," she said grimly.

Harry was uncertain what that meant, because for what he knew both the Lestranges had been monsters. Perhaps they selfishly did not like others harming her? Harry found that particularly disgusting, but figured it was better than the alternative. The very thought of the scarred man touching Vala made him shake with anger.

"What is the man's name with all the scars, Vala?" Harry asked after a few minutes of silence.

She closed her eyes wearily. "Cyrus," she told him. "I'm not sure about his last name, that's all they ever called him around me."

Harry nodded, thoughtful. "I've never seen him before, but he seems just the right character for a Death Eater. I'm sure him and the Lestranges got along very well," Harry added in disgust.

"Yes, they did," Vala agreed quietly. "Harry, I'm feeling drained. Can we have some tea or something?"

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry, I should have known you would need something," he apologized. "Dobby!"

After the antics from the ecstatic house elf, Harry and Vala sat sipping their tea. Harry noticed Vala put a lot less sugar than normal, and his eyebrows furrowed.

"You okay?" he asked her softly, gently touching her arm.

She looked up and smiled. "Of course, just a bit shaken up."

Harry accepted this, but he knew something was off.

"Harry?"

He looked at her curiously.

"There was something you wanted to tell me earlier at Hogsmeade before we were interrupted," she prompted, her eyebrows raised.

Harry cleared his throat, feeling suddenly nervous. "It-it was nothing really…"

"Yes it was," V ala stated, her head tilted to the side. "I can tell."

Harry sighed. He had hoped to do it in a more romantic manner, and he had started having second thoughts about telling her when she was unconscious. But as he stared at Vala, he felt his resolve strengthen. He set down his tea, steeling himself.

"Harry!"

Both Harry and Vala swirled around to see both Ron and Hermione hurry through the closed door. They were both breathing loudly, looking frantic.

Harry and Vala got to their feet, alarmed.

"We came as soon as we heard," Ron panted. "The Auror Office has been on edge waiting for their retaliation, but I never expected you'd be involved! Are you hurt?"

Hermione pushed past him and scanned them both anxiously. Once she was satisfied, she relaxed slightly and stepped back.

"We are fine, guys," Harry said, shaking his head at their desperation. But he was touched by their concern, and he honestly thought he'd have a similar reaction if the situation was reversed. "Honestly," he said when they shot him disbelieving looks.

"What happened? And what were you even doing in Hogsmeade?" Hermione scolded. Then she glanced at Vala and realized. "Never mind that, were you hit by anything?"

"Vala was hit by a stunner," Harry said, motioning to the girl beside him, "but I came out unscathed."

"I heard there were loads of them," Ron exclaimed. "How were you not hurt? There must have not been many there to help you."

"Why don't we go sit down," Vala suggested, motioning to the sitting room.

Harry shot her a grateful look, and she smiled sympathetically at him. They moved to the other room, and Harry sat down by Vala. Instead of taking the other couch, Hermione and Ron squeezed next to him. That left Vala practically in Harry's lap, and Hermione was pressed very close to his side.

"Guys," Harry sighed, exasperated. "I'm _fine_."

"You always say that, but it's never true," Ron fired back, folding his arms over his chest.

Harry groaned. "Well it is this time. So you can go sit over there, I promise that I will remain alive even if you are ten feet away."

Vala smirked at his remark, but the other members of the Golden Trio scowled at him. Nonetheless, Ron pulled Hermione onto the other couch with him.

"Better?" Ron snapped.

"Much," Harry said. But despite the new room, Harry was in no hurry to adjust his position. He grinned at Vala when she raised her eyebrows at him.

"So I see the lovebirds are at it again," Ron said, suddenly in a very good mood. He smirked.

Harry glared slightly at Ron, but Vala only smiled at the red-head. Harry repositioned himself so that Vala was no longer in his lap. She did, however, grab his hand. He shot her a startled look and she only grinned at him mischievously.

Harry was beginning to wonder if he needed to tell her he cared about her. She seemed to be quite clear about it all. He grinned at that thought. Maybe he could kiss her again and she wouldn't run away this time. He imagined her lips on his, her body pressed against his own…

"-and I'm worried about the coincidence of it all. For them to attack Hogsmeade the very day you were there is a bit to convenient for my liking. Harry? Harry!"

Vala nudged him, and Harry looked at Hermione sheepishly. She gave him an exasperated look.

"Did you hear any of that?" she asked, sighing.

"Some at the end," Harry told her, feeling a bit guilty as he stared at her.

"You were just attacked, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, suddenly furious. "Now isn't the time to be spacing out! What if next time you are hurt, or captured, or killed?"

Harry tensed, feeling foolish. "Your right, Hermione, sorry," he said quietly.

She deflated, her anger vanishing. "I'm sorry, Harry, I'm being overbearing," she whispered. "I'm just so… so afraid of losing you." She glanced at the dark-haired girl beside him. "And Vala. I know we only just met, but I can't imagine losing you now either."

Harry glanced at Vala, and she had a look of shock on her face. Harry let go of her hand and instead wrapped his arm around her. She smiled at him, but the surprise was still clearly on her face.

"What are we going to do?" Ron asked, breaking up the quiet moment. "There is going to be more attacks."

Harry glanced at Vala, who had suddenly gone still, and made an abrupt decision. He met Ron's eyes. "I do not want to heavily involved in the fight unless I must," he said assertively. "The Aurors can handle this on their own."

Both Hermione and Ron stared at him as if he had grown two heads.

"Did Harry Potter just say he was going to stay out a fight?" Ron whispered to Hermione, his eyes wide.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Hermione murmured back.

"Pinch me," Ron told her.

Hermione reached over, but Harry interrupted them.

"Will you two stop it?" the young lord snapped.

They turned to him, and their countenances got more serious.

"It's a good decision, but unexpected," Hermione told him finally. "Unlike you, really."

Harry glanced at Vala from the corner of his eye. "Some things are worth fighting for, and others things are better off when you stay out of it," he said softly.

Ron was not convinced. "I thought you'd want to be on the front line in this, Harry. This isn't something you want to stay out of. After all of last year, all of our hard work-"

"Exactly Ron," Harry cut in. "After last year, I need a break. I was going to sacrifice my life for this cause. I was convinced I was going to die. And now…"

"You were going to sacrifice your life?" Vala cut in, startled. "What do you mean?"

Hermione opened her mouth to explain, but Harry quickly cut in, giving Hermione a warning look.

"There are casualties in war," Harry told her. "I just never saw myself making it through the end of it all."

She stared at him, and for a moment Harry felt guilty for lying to her. She knew, like everyone else, that a piece of Voldemort's soul had been inside of him. She did not know, however, that he had been planning on dying to remove it. Everyone had just assumed it had happened accidentally, not purposefully.

"I'm glad you did," she whispered.

Harry suddenly realized that if he had not, she would have died. The thought of that was heart-wrenching. He had never been gladder he had survived than that moment.

"Harry, are you sure-"

"I may change my mind," Harry told his long-time best friend, "but for now, I feel I should stay out of this one. The Aurors should be able to handle the remaining Death Eaters easily."

Ron accepted this with a single nod. He checked his watch, and quickly got to his feet.

"We are expected for dinner at home," he told Harry.

"Give everyone my best," Harry said. "And enjoy your mom's cooking for me."

Ron suddenly stopped, looking between Vala and Harry with a sneaky grin. "Why don't you come with us? I'm sure my mom will want to meet your girlfriend, after all."

"She's not-"

"Sounds fun," Vala interrupted Harry.

Harry turned to her, astonished. "It does?"

She looked a bit hesitant, but she nodded.

"There is going to be a lot of people there," Harry warned. "The whole entire Weasley family, which is gigantic."

She shrugged. "After today, I need the distraction."

Harry had a feeling this was a bad idea, but he couldn't think of a good reason to refuse. So he just turned to his best friends and nodded. "We'll be right there."

"Great," Ron said. "Mom will be thrilled!"

Hermione flashed him a smile before they used the fireplace to go back to the Burrow. Once they had vanished with the flames, Harry turned to face Vala.

"You sure about this?" he asked, searching her face for any reason to call this off.

"Never been surer in my life," she told him.

* * *

Vala was not so sure that this had been a good idea. She looked around at all the people, the majority of them sporting red hair, and had to concentrate on breathing.

Honestly, she didn't know where the claustrophobia had come from. She had never had a problem with it before. Then again, there were many things that changed about her with her time spent as the Lestranges' slave. She had only been their slave for four years, but it seemed that it had killed her old self. Seeing Marec today, it was like everything was coming crashing back.

Slavery felt like a distant memory with the recent attack led by her grandfather's right hand man. She had to just trust Harry would not abuse the bond – and she would actually admit the fear of that had lessened dramatically. She knew she had been stunned because her grandfather wanted her alive, but she guessed that her grandfather would be most displeased she wasn't captured.

But then again, her grandfather believed taking her without her master's permission would result in her death. She had to be in somewhat close proximity unless her master gave her permission to go where she pleased (which he had). She couldn't run off with the intent to escape, but being forced somewhere would be fine. But her grandfather had no idea that Harry was so set on liberating her.

Her grandfather knew all about the slavery spell. He should, having been the one to first experiment with it. Later, he passed on the ownership to the Lestranges as repayment for his son destroying Black Manor. Bellatrix Lestrange née Black had been very vocal about the need for compensation.

She was a slave because he wanted to punish her for disobeying him for the first time in her life. Apparently, after her father's betrayal he was not very forgiving.

When she told Harry it wasn't magic used very often, she had been telling the truth. It was a very dark, very ancient spell dating back centuries that only worked during a complex ritual. The spell Harry used was only to transfer the ownership, not create the bond. She was certain the only one who could break it was the man who so _lovingly _bestowed it upon her.

"Harry!"

A plump, red-headed woman came and hugged Harry tightly.

"Hi Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, hugging her back lightly.

"Molly," she scolded. "And good thing you came, you're looking thin young man," she said, smiling softly at him. She turned her smile on Vala, who stiffened.

"And this must be Vala, we've heard all about her from Ron and Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. She smiled and took Vala's hands. "I'm Molly Weasley, welcome to the Burrow."

"Thank you," Vala said quietly, shocked by the woman's kindness.

"Come sit," Molly urged them. "Everyone is at the table."

Vala took a deep breath, and flinched when a hand grabbed her own. She looked over at Harry and relaxed slightly.

"They are a loud bunch, but wonderful," Harry whispered comfortingly in her ear.

Vala nodded, and allowed Harry to lead her to the table. She was relieved to be at the end of the table, with Harry to her right. But she did notice that all eyes turned on them when they sat down.

"Harry!" The red-headed man from beside Harry shouted. "Who is she? There's no way she's your girlfriend!"

Harry flushed. "Shut up, Charlie," he said.

"Yeah, _shut up Charlie_," Ron agreed, glaring at his brother. "I already told you guys her name was Vala. Now stop teasing my best mate."

Vala wondered what else Ron had told them, but shrugged it off. She surveyed the group, and they all did look very friendly. She stopped when she noticed Ginny a few seats over. Ginny looked amused, but she was looking at Vala curiously. Then Vala noticed the blonde beside her. Draco Malfoy was staring straight at her and had gone pale. Vala quickly averted her eyes.

She hadn't known Draco Malfoy would be here. She looked over to Harry, who was watching her with shocked emerald eyes.

"I didn't know, Vala," he whispered furiously. "We can leave-"

"No, no," she told him, shaking her head. "I'm fine, really."

Draco had been almost nice to her actually, in the grand scheme of things. But he still made her uncomfortable. In private he had been soft-spoken and kind, but in public he had been vicious and cruel. She understood, obviously, but it all brought back bad memories.

But she had seen how happy Harry was to be here. He was positively beaming as he sat down. With everything that had happened, Vala felt she owed him at least this much. Especially seeing since she had lied to him all day.

Conversations were going around all over the table as they ate, and Harry was involved in many of them. Vala, on the other hand, remained relatively quiet. The red-headed man across from them – with a single earring and a nasty scar – was grinning at her cheerfully however. A very beautiful woman was beside him.

"I'm Bill Weasley," he introduced. "And this is my wife Fleur. I heard you were knocked out in the raid today. I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks," Vala said, and she managed to smile at him. The mention of the attack from her grandfather's men made her feel even sicker than before.

Bill seemed to realize this, and he apologized. "I didn't mean to bring up a bad memory," he said. "This is supposed to be a fun time for you."

"Yes, excuse my husband," the blonde woman said with a slight accent. "You know men, they talk like they eat: with absolutely no decorum!"

Vala smiled more sincerely at that. Harry laughed from beside her.

"Guilty," Harry said to her.

She also laughed, but then it died. He looked so happy… but once he learned the truth and was plunged into another war…

Vala felt suddenly nauseous. It was only through years of maintaining an unemotional mask that she managed to hide it from Harry.

He casually grabbed her hand, and the man from beside him – Charlie was it? – made an innuendo about Harry and herself.

She actually did wish she was his girlfriend, but she realized it couldn't happen. She knew she should stop leading him on, but she couldn't help it. She just liked him too much – she really had accepted that she did – to let him go. But once he knew the truth about her past, she knew it wouldn't work.

Once dinner was over, everyone moved to the living room to talk. It was rather crowded, and there was only a chair in a corner or half-a-couch by Draco and Ginny to choose from. With those options, she quickly steered Harry to the single chair. He looked at her with raised eyebrows, but she merely pushed him into it. Before he could protest, she positioned herself on his lap. She didn't miss the guffaws and whistles from the other occupants.

"Vala-"

Vala laughed herself at Harry's flaming face. For a moment, she just lost herself in Harry's eyes.

"So, Harry, where did you meet this killer of a woman?" another red-head teased from nearby. "I would have noticed if she went to Hogwarts."

Harry tensed slightly, and Vala waited with bated breath.

"She didn't," Harry told him slowly. "She, well-"

"I was home-schooled," Vala quickly cut in, seeing his desperation. "But after my parents were murdered by Death Eaters, I went to live with my relative in Hogsmeade. My aunt – she's a healer – and so was immediately on site to help the injured. I came with her and ran into Harry."

"Sorry about your parents," Molly told her sadly, but she made a clear effort to brighten the atmosphere. "Who is your aunt? She sounds like a lovely witch."

"Hannah Swortsen," Vala quickly said, using a cover she once used. She knew no Hannah Swortsen existed.

"Don't think I know her," Molly said, shaking her head thoughtfully. "Muggle-born?"

Vala shook her head. "Half-blood. That's the only reason it was safe to stay with her."

"Of course," Molly said, nodding her head sympathetically. "You poor dear."

Vala looked over to Draco, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. Vala met them directly, daring him to say something. He only looked away to talk to his girlfriend.

Vala let out a deep breath and turned to Harry, who was also looking relieved. She tried to smile at him, but failed.

"I think we should go," Vala told him, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

He nodded in agreement and started to say his excuses for leaving. Everyone was disappointed, but Vala was more than relieved when they landed back in their quarters. Vala excused herself quickly, avoiding Harry's gaze, and closed the door of her room. She leaned against it and slowly slid down to the floor.

She felt empty, hollow, alone.

Her whole existence was a lie. She would never stop lying. And she knew that very soon, all the lies would come back to haunt her.

Her grandfather couldn't stay silent for long and neither could she.

* * *

**Well... We are certainly getting closer to uncovering Vala's past. I gave a few little bits of info to the readers, but Harry is still clueless. You thought at first that he was going to question Vala, but turns out he decided it was Death Eaters in the end. I doubt he will be thinking that for long ;)**

**So one reviewer mentioned that this was supposed to be a strong!Harry story. Well, as you can see from the start of this chapter, it is going to be. But it is "strong" Harry, not "super" Harry. With the damaging past I gave him in this story, there is bound to be a few challenges for him. That is what will make him an interesting character. Eventually, he will completely overcome his abused child tendencies, but it will be gradual. If this is disappointing to anyone I apologize, but this is my story. I love hearing feedback and suggestions, but at the end of the day I'm the one writing. There have been some concerns with the Gringotts chapter that this would just be another super!rich!Harry story. It will not be. Harry getting more politically involved is just important for some of the details in this story. **

**Well, anyways..**

**So Harry wants to tell Vala he likes her/cares about her-she already sort of realizes it and feels the same. And Harry realizes in this chapter that Vala is a much different person than she was in the beginning chapters. It was interesting to write the Harry/Vala scenes. Some of you may feel it was a bit OOC for Vala, but you should realize the person she was in the start of the story is not who she really is. With her past drawing closer, she will start acting less like a slave and more like the granddaughter of a dark lord. This is basically a result of Harry truly caring about her and her truly caring about Harry. To her, her grandfather is a more concerning issue than the slavery bond.**

**Ok! Long AN! Hope you all understand what's going on. Please review and tell me what you think :) Happy reading :)**


	12. Rescuing

**Here's chapter twelve! Sorry for the wait, RL got in the way you know. Anyways hope this one has enough action for you :)**

**Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter, belongs to J.K.R.**

* * *

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Vala stopped, her toast hovering over her mouth. She lowered it slowly, staring at the black-haired boy with wide eyes. Did she hear him correctly?

Harry ran a hand through his messy black hair, looking sheepish.

"I wanted to ask you earlier, but the raid…" Harry trailed off hesitantly. "I mean, I think you feel the same, but if you don't, I completely understand. But don't feel forced… I will never abuse my control over the slavery spell." He coughed nervously when she only blinked at him. "Vala?"

Vala was shocked. She liked Harry, and she had entertained the thought that he liked her too from what Hermione said, but it was still unexpected. How could she be both his slave and his girlfriend? She didn't see Harry as her master, not really, but it still was uncomfortable. Not to mention she hadn't told him the truth about the raid from earlier. If her grandfather learned of their relationship…

"I'm sorry. Forget it. Of course you wouldn't."

Vala felt horrible when Harry stood up and turned away from her. She wanted to scream "Yes" at him so badly. And she knew he would blame himself when it was really her issues preventing it. She felt something break inside her as Harry walked out of the Room of Requirements.

She didn't know when she had become such a coward. In her youth, she had been fearless. But now, she was so afraid. But she was so sick and tired of the fear… she felt like she was only a piece of who she once was.

With sudden strength, she rose to her feet and also left the room. She had been expecting to have to hunt him down, but she was startled to see he was leaning against the wall outside the door. He looked up when she approached him, his emerald eyes dimmed.

Before she lost her nerve, she stepped closer so that her body was pressed against his. He stared at her in surprise. She claimed his lips, and he froze instantly. When he remained unresponsive she pulled away, but he quickly pulled her back to him. He kissed her softly, and she reciprocated with new desperation.

Nothing mattered at the moment. It was as if time had stopped. She didn't care that this was stupid, and impossible. She didn't care that she was his slave. She didn't care that he didn't know the truth. With his lips on hers, she felt free for the first time in years. She didn't know how something so wrong could feel so right.

They pulled away to breath, and Vala panted slightly. He smiled at her, and his grip on her waist tightened.

"Was that a yes?" he asked softly.

Vala nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

He leaned in to kiss her again, and Vala gladly did the same.

* * *

A few weeks passed since they became a couple, and everyday Harry felt more and more in love with the black-haired witch. It was as if the slavery spell didn't even exist. Harry told her things he had never shared with anyone, including his childhood and his fears from the war. In turn, Vala admitted some of the horrors she had been subjected to by the Lestranges and her own experiences in the war.

But even then, Harry knew Vala was hiding so much more. She never talked much about her parents, and she still would not tell him her last name. Harry was starting to wonder if she ever would. But Harry had faith that through time she would come to trust him more.

They had spent much of their time training, and Harry was amazed more and more each day by her magical abilities. Everything came so naturally to her. She had admitted a few days earlier that before she became a slave she had been tutored. He had tried to learn more on the subject, but she had only continued the duel and pretended to not of heard his follow-up question.

Often, Harry would stay up late and research. He wanted nothing more than to free Vala, but he was afraid that only the ones who had cursed her in the beginning would be capable of that. And both the Lestranges had died in the last battle. Despite this, Harry did not stop searching. Hermione often came and assisted him, and even Ron tagged along a few times. But lately, Harry had seen less and less of Ron.

The raids had increased over the past days, and although they were minor it was still concerning. Ron informed him that they still were uncertain who their leader was. A week ago they cornered one of the attackers, but the man cast the killing curse on himself before they could bring him into questioning. Harry found that both disturbing and shocking. The Death Eaters had never been so dedicated before.

The scarred man from the raid, Cyrus according to Vala, still troubled Harry. The man had informed Harry that he was not a Death Eater, but Harry was certain he was only trying to cause confusion. Perhaps that man was even the leader and so saw himself as the new Dark Lord instead of a Death Eater. The man had given the orders to retreat, after all. He had mentioned the man to Ron, but so far it has led to nothing.

"Harry?"

Harry turned to smile slightly at his girlfriend, and she took a seat next to him on the couch. She watched him with concern.

"You're still worried about the raids," she murmured.

He nodded, and she wrapped her arms around him gently.

"Why don't you help?" Vala asked quietly, resting her head on his chest. "I know you want to."

He sighed. "What would happen to you if I died?" he asked her, embracing her even tighter. "You were lucky I was nearby after both the Lestranges were killed. A few more minutes and you would have died." Harry shivered. "I can't ever put you in that position again."

She pulled back to survey his face. "You are staying out for me," she breathed, surprised.

He nodded slightly, waiting for her reaction.

"What if you had no choice?" Vala whispered, unable to meet his eyes. "What if they wanted me? What would you do if they attacked me?"

Harry was startled. "_Do_ they want you?" he asked quickly, starting to panic.

Vala paused as if she didn't know what to say. "I bring great entertainment," she finally said bitterly.

"Did someone say something to you at the raid?" Harry asked, suddenly suspicious. He remembered the scarred man's taunt about Vala being a good whore. He narrowed his eyes in anger at the reminder. "Did that Cyrus say something?"

Vala bit her lip, hesitating. "It doesn't really matter."

"Vala, of course it matters," Harry snapped back. "If he threatened you-"

"It's nothing I can't handle," Vala retorted, pulling away from him abruptly.

Harry raised his eyebrows, shocked at her violent response. "What did he say?" he demanded. "Tell me, Vala!" he added, worried.

She stiffened, and Harry realized what he had done. He had tried to never speak directly around Vala, but sometimes orders would slip out. This one, for once, he did not want to reword.

She paused, daring not to answer him, but he knew she was going through slowly escalating pain by not instantly answering.

"Vala, just tell me. If he threatened you…"

She just shook her head, her eyes closed tightly. Harry watched in silent dismay as she stubbornly remained quiet. After a few minutes of tense silence, she fell to her knees, fighting back a scream.

"Vala, please just answer me," Harry whispered, shaking. He hated himself for making her go through this. But if it was the only way to make sure… he had to protect her. She would never tell him otherwise.

She shook her head at him, curling up in a ball on the floor. He kneeled next to her and hesitantly touched her arm. She flinched violently at his touch. Harry froze, horrified at her reaction.

"You don't have to tell me," he whispered frantically. "The earlier order is removed."

She slowly uncurled herself, and Harry gently pulled her into his lap. She shoved his chest to move away from him, trembling. Hurt and disbelief flashed in her grey eyes.

"You told me you wouldn't misuse the bond," she gasped. "You promised me!"

Harry looked away. He had never felt so disgusted with himself. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words would come out. He realized he was no better than his uncle, or the Lestranges.

When she locked herself in her bedroom, he remained motionless. He tried to remember why protecting her was enough justification to force her to tell the truth, because now he felt physically sick at the thought. And the resounding silence seemed to be condemning him.

He had made a horrible mistake.

* * *

"Vala, you need to eat something!"

He stared at the locked door to her quarters, waiting for her reply.

It was silent.

Harry turned away, and quietly called out Dobby's name. As an elf, Dobby would be able to deliver her food until Vala forgave him.

Part of him feared she never would.

* * *

It had been four days since the argument, and Vala still remained in her bedroom. Dobby continued to deliver her food and anything else she required. Vala had yet to speak to Harry.

Yesterday, Harry had attempted to unlock the door with magic. Nothing had worked, and Harry grudgingly gained more respect for the black-haired witch.

He wanted so badly to beg her forgiveness and to somehow make it up to her. But no matter what he yelled at her through the door, she remained unresponsive.

Harry was about to try again when the fire flared. The young lord was startled when Hermione fell through. He moved to help her up, but she quickly got to her feet. He was shocked to see tears falling down from her eyes.

"Hermion-"

"Ron was captured," she gasped. "There was a raid and he was taken."

Harry collapsed on the couch, frozen with fear. His heart hammered in his chest, still trying to digest the news.

"Do you have any leads?" Harry asked her desperately, trying to stay calm. "Do you know any of them who took him?"

"They were all wearing hoods," she told him hopelessly, falling down beside Harry on the couch. "I don't know what to do."

Harry wrapped his arms around his best friend, fighting back his own tears. "We'll find him, Mione," he promised, but even he was doubtful of his own words. With no leads, finding Ron would be extremely difficult even if he was still alive.

"But what if we don't," she cried, clearly realizing the same thing. "I-I can't lose him, Harry."

"We will find him Hermione."

Harry spun around at the new voice. The dark-haired witch who had monopolized his thoughts for the past few days was standing behind them, her eyes narrowed. She had an unreadable expression on her face as the two Gryffindors stared at her. Harry tried to find any sign that she had forgiven him even slightly, but she was unnaturally devoid of emotion.

"We don't know where to look," Hermione told her anxiously, too upset to properly greet her.

Vala took a deep breath. "I do," she said quietly. "I have a few ideas of where to find him."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, staring at Vala in confusion.

Vala's gaze did not move from Hermione. "The Lestranges were privy to a lot of information," she said, shrugging. "When I was their slave I couldn't tell any of their secrets so they had no reason to stay quiet around me. I've been to a number of headquarters with them."

"But that was a few years ago," Harry said uncertainly. "The chances of-"

"We have to try," Hermione interrupted, looking hopeful. "We can't just do nothing."

"I know where they'll be," Vala stated confidently.

Harry eyed the black-haired witch carefully. He felt like she was hiding something.

"Where is that?" Harry asked, with an eyebrow raised in question.

Her eyes finally flickered to his, but they were unreadable. "It's a manor in Bulgaria. I can apparate us into the forest nearby at the edge of the wards."

"How do we get past the wards then?" Hermione asked, getting to her feet with sudden determination.

"I can break them down," Vala said softly. "I know how they work."

"And how do you know that?" Harry asked, staring at her piercingly.

She smiled at him, but Harry noticed there was no warmth in the gesture.

"You'll just have to trust me, my lord," she said coolly.

Harry felt like she had just punched him in the gut. She hadn't referred to him as 'my lord' for weeks, and the Boy-Who-Lived didn't miss the double meaning in the trust comment.

"We will have to leave immediately," Vala added, stepping closer to Hermione. She offered her hand to the other witch. "Take my hand, and then _he_ can take yours."

Hermione quickly followed Vala's instructions, but Harry paused. The young lord glanced at Vala, but she was purposefully avoiding his gaze. He hadn't missed the venom in her statement either. With a sigh, he took Hermione's offered hand.

"This is going to be a huge risk," Vala warned them. "There will be dozens of followers."

"It's a risk we are going to have to take," Harry told her, in a true Gryffindor fashion.

Hermione nodded, squeezing Harry's hand in agreement. "I'll do anything to get Ron back," she vowed.

Vala gave her a twisted smile. "You'd be surprised how quickly that outlook will change." But before either Hermione or Harry could properly process her statement, they felt the familiar tug of apparating.

Harry landed ungracefully on the grass-covered ground, but the two witches were both firmly on their feet. He quickly jumped up and examined his surroundings. They were at the edge of a forest, and a huge mansion was at the opposite edge of the tree-line. A gate surrounded the mansion and its landscape, but they still had a clear view of the towering building. It was a dark grey color, majestically standing in the shadows of the fading sun.

Vala, behind them, looked transfixed.

"Where do the wards start?" Hermione asked, gripping her wand tightly in her hand.

"We already bypassed the first," Vala told them quietly. "It would seem I still am keyed into the outer wards. The inner wards will be much harder to crack."

"But you can?" Hermione said, biting her lip.

Vala's eyes did not stray from the manor. "Yes."

Hermione nodded confidently, and started to approach the manor slowly. Harry glanced at Vala sideways. She caught his eye and they both hesitated, glancing at Hermione who was out of hearing distance.

"Vala, if I die Hermione can take over the bond-"

"You won't die," she cut him off grimly. "I don't think you'll have that problem. They prefer torture here."

Harry tensed, and she started walking off but he quickly grabbed her arm. He spun her back around, scanning her face desperately.

"I am so sorry," he murmured. "I only wanted to protect you, but I know that is no excuse. Vala, I wouldn't live with myself if you didn't realize…" he trailed off, taking a deep breath. "You understand me more than anyone else. You make me feel like no one else has. You are not and never will be a slave to me."

She surveyed him with her stormy grey eyes. He wished he knew what she was feeling, but her expression was unreadable. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hermione had already moved back to stand beside them.

"Vala, where is it best to approach?" she asked impatiently.

Vala stared at Harry for another moment, before closing her eyes and sighing. They opened the next instant, and she turned to face Hermione directly.

"There is a blind side on the west entrance," Vala said softly. "Follow me."

Vala turned around and walked back into the forest, with Hermione trailing closely behind. Harry tried to gather his thoughts and focus, and he hurriedly followed the two witches.

No matter his feelings for Vala, Ron was the top priority now. And with that in mind he cleared away his conflicting emotions and tightened his grip on his wand.

He knew they were probably waiting for him. After all, they took Ron of all the Aurors. It was not just a coincidence. And from the way Hermione glanced back at him anxiously, she realized the same thing. But they couldn't leave their best friend. And perhaps, they would be unexpected. Surely they didn't realize Vala had a way into their headquarters.

Harry's eyes did not stray from the back of the black-haired witch. For the first time since he had met her, he had this feeling that something was not right.

* * *

Vala ducked under another branch, pushing away the brackets in her path. Hermione was close by her, breathing heavily. Vala could tell she was worried. Harry was about ten feet behind them, and she didn't have to look behind to know he was staring at her.

He was a bit suspicious of her sudden all-knowing persona. Vala couldn't blame him. In fact, at the moment she was having difficulty staying mad at him. She knew his apology had been sincere, but she still remembered the helpless feeling of having to obey his order. She hated that feeling.

She wondered if this was the smart move. Surely her grandfather realized she would bring them here, to his manor. She was probably playing right into his hands. But she also knew that he would send them a message if they didn't react. It might have been Ron's wand hand, but Vala couldn't rule out the possibility of it being a dead body instead.

She remembered that lesson very clearly.

"_Remember, Vala, if you start to care for one person there are many more to come. That's why it's so easy to kill hostages. There are many more to choose from."_

_She had stared at him seriously. "Even you?"_

"_Well I'm not exactly a normal human," he had said, smirking. "I expect you to die for me if I needed it. But, well, I am more than capable of taking care of myself. So you have no one to worry about, dear."_

_Vala had smiled at him, believing in every word he had uttered. _

"_Take this hostage for example," he had added, motioning to the half-dead man at their feet that she admittedly had forgotten about. "He will be a better message of fear than a bargaining chip. He was lacking connections, and connections are everything in this world." He had grinned at her viciously, before striding off. "Oh and take care of this trash for me, darling," he had added as an afterthought, glancing back to smirk at her._

_She had smirked back. _

"How do you plan on breaking through the wards?" Hermione questioned. "We cannot risk being detected."

Vala glanced at her, grimacing. "We may not have a choice."

"Then, how-?"

"Don't concern yourself with the little details," Vala shot back to Hermione lightly. "I mean, aren't you guys known for plunging into danger?"

"We are also known for killing people because of it," Harry hissed from behind her, clearly seeing through her attempts to lighten the mood. "And don't change the subject."

Vala's grip on her wand tightened. Sometimes Harry was much too perceptive.

"What aren't you telling us?" Hermione asked quietly, glancing between Harry and her. "If we are going to get Ron out you have to trust us."

_Trust._ Vala fought back a vicious laugh at that.

"I don't know," Vala told them. "I dabbled into wards in the past. Hopefully I'll be able to get us in."

They both stayed silent after her half-truth, and Vala hoped they were done questioning her. This was terrifying enough for her without her two allies trying to tear into her past.

She tried not to think as they reached the edge of the forest and neared the wards. She had been lying when she had said she was uncertain how to get in. Her grandfather had taught her using these wards as her training tool. She knew these wards all too well. Part of her was concerned he had altered them in her absence, but she was praying his arrogance had blinded him.

"Stop," Vala told them.

She held up her hands to the wards, feeling the familiar magic. She smiled. It hadn't changed after all.

The black-haired witch made quick work of the wards, breaking them down expertly. Time had not dimmed her ability in ward breaking. She slowly removed the last traces of the wards, and her hands dropped to her side.

That had been easier than she anticipated.

She stiffened. That was only more proof that her grandfather knew they were there. He wanted them to break through the wards. He was much to calculating to overlook this.

"Vala?"

"It's done," Vala said quietly, pushing away her doubts. They were too far in to back out now. She turned to face the impressed pair of Gryffindors. "We only have a few minutes before they rebuild, so we will have to go through the same process to escape."

They nodded, and Vala noticed they were both shifting anxiously.

"Let's get to the dungeons," Vala stated. "I'm sure that's where they are keeping him." She shivered slightly. "Unfortunately I am an expert on getting there."

She spun around when she felt a hand grab hers. Emerald eyes were observing her in concern.

"Are you sure you're okay being here?" he asked quietly. "You must have horrible memories from this place."

Vala glanced at the manor, fighting back the urge to shudder. "It's nothing I can't handle," she told him curtly, removing her hand from his grasp. Before he could continue, she began giving directions. "We can enter through this west wing. From there we need to make it to south wing where the best entrance to the dungeons is located."

She knew quite a few secret entrances and tunnels that go through that area. And plus, her grandfather's quarters are in the north wing so it would be best to avoid that wing.

"Let's go," Hermione urged them.

Vala nodded before placing a disillusionment charm on herself. She felt the usual cold chill trail down her body, and repressed a shiver. She noticed that Hermione and Harry quickly followed suit.

Motioning for them to follow her, they stepped out from the cover of the trees. The trio took off at a fast pace to the west wing, and they made it to a side entrance without any issues. She continued through a maze of corridors, all which were unoccupied. She stopped abruptly when she heard a set of voices.

"… just got back."

"Good, I need someone to curse. Nothing better than that filth to use as target practice."

Vala peered around the corner, and hissed under her breath when she spotted the two men. She recognized them instantly.

One was easily over six feet, with brown hair and a square face. Jarin Pyrite. He was a powerful presence, and important in her grandfather's circle.

The other was also very intimidating, but in a different way. He was of a smaller build, with dark black hair that fell to his shoulders and even darker eyes. His name was Yuek Gibbon, her grandfather's head interrogator. She knew from personal experience his capabilities.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they continued down a different direction. She did not want to have to face those two if she could avoid it.

Quietly, she led them into the previously occupied hallway and pressed her hand behind a tapestry. Instantly, the floor in front of them lowered. Hermione and Harry started in surprise, but hastily followed her under to the underground passage. The entrance closed behind them, leaving them in darkness.

"_Lumos_," Hermione whispered.

Harry and Vala mimicked her, and they all stared around the passage with the light from their wands.

"What were those men talking about?" Harry asked hurriedly, moving his wand-light to point at Vala.

"Probably captured some muggles," Vala answered softly. "From what I guess, at least."

"How did you know about this passage?" Hermione stepped closer to them. "And where does it lead?"

"Found it when I was trying to escape the Lestranges," Vala quickly lied. "And it leads to the holding cells. Now stay quiet and follow me."

They walked through the cold, eerie passage silently. Several minutes passed before Vala stopped at a seemingly dead end. She slowly pushed against the hard wall, and the two Gryffindors behind her were startled to see it swing open. Vala glanced around, and clambered out when she was certain it was empty. She fell onto the cold stone floor of the prison. Hermione dropped down beside her, and Harry was close behind. Harry looked back up at the passage exit up above, and was again startled to see the passage seal itself.

"It detects magical energy," Vala whispered to them as explanation. "Now let's go."

They passed many empty cells as they walked through the dark chamber. Vala was a bit suspicious at the lack of guards, but assumed it was because the prisoners were at the other end of the dungeons. She stopped at the corner, and glanced around it. There were three men stationed by one cell, and she was relieved to see a head of red hair.

"Ron's here," she hissed to her two companions. "But there are three guards. I'm going to incapacitate them."

Before Harry or Hermione could respond, she sent three consecutive stunners at the guards. Two fell down from the red spell, but the third missed its target. The third man directed his wand at her, but Vala was startled to see him get hit from behind.

"What in Merlin's name was that?" Harry hissed at her, stepping over the unconscious man.

"Thanks," she told him, ignoring his comment.

Hermione ran past them to the cell, where Ron was unconscious. She tried to yank the door open, but quickly muttered "_alohamora_" when it refused to budge. She kneeled beside him and looked for a pulse on his wrist. She let out a sigh of relief.

"He's alive," Hermione whispered. "_Ennerverate!_" she added, directing her wand at her boyfriend.

He came to, drowsily blinking up at Hermione. She kissed his cheek.

"Thank Merlin," she murmured.

He suddenly sat up, alert.

"Hermione," he gasped. "We have to leave. Now!"

Unsteadily he rose to his feet, and Hermione gripped his arm tightly. Vala, quite agreeing with the red-head, urged them to hurry. Quickly they headed back to the secret passage, and Vala tapped her wand against the stone wall.

"Open," she whispered.

A ladder suddenly appeared, and Vala hastily climbed up it. She was followed by Harry, then Ron, and finally Hermione. The entrance closed behind them, leaving them in darkness once again. A few more muttered spells later, and the passage lit up.

"Ron," Harry murmured. "I'm so glad you're alive."

Ron, although covered in bruises and dirt, grinned back momentarily. "Good to see you too, mate. And you too, Vala." The grin faded promptly. "But we can talk later. We have to go."

The four of them exchanged fleeting glances before continuing on at a fast pace. Vala understood why he was so frantic so escape. Her grandfather was never kind on the prisoners, or anyone for that matter. She shivered slightly.

Silently, she was praying that they'd make it out alive… That somehow they'd gotten lucky and this wouldn't be a trap…. That her grandfather had really never changed the wards… That he hadn't known about this secret passage…

But she wasn't naive enough to really put much conviction behind those wishes.

She came to the other end of the passage, and stopped, listening for any noises. When she heard nothing, she slowly opened the sealed door. Glancing around, she was relieved to see it was empty. She nodded the okay at the other three before climbing up to the main floor. They did the same, breathing heavily.

"Come on," Vala whispered at them, feeling a stir of unease.

They didn't have the chance to move. Around the corner stepped out a man Vala recognized instantly. He leaned against the wall of the corridor, casually twirling his wand. Golden blond hair fell in waves to his shoulders, framing his handsome aristocratic face. He looked no older then forty, but Vala knew in actuality he was much older than that. His sharp, grey eyes regarded them, and Vala stiffened under the gaze. She stepped back, her grip on her wand tightening in panic.

"Don't leave on my account," he said smoothly, his grey eyes piercing into hers. He smiled charmingly as he added, "Granddaughter."

* * *

**Well! Wow a lot happens in this chapter! I wanted to move the story along and this chapter was the result! I was considering going over the few weeks of them being bf/gf, but in the end it just seemed like fluffy fillers. For those of you who want that don't worry! There will be plenty of fluff later on! **

**So Vala versus her grandfather in the next chapter! Sorry for the cliffhanger, hope you don't hate me ;) the next chapter should be interesting!**

**Thanks to all you reviewers, you make my day! :) Thanks for your continual support. Please leave me a quick message on your thoughts of this chapter! **

**Happy reading :)**


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